STANTON : Fighting to End, Says New Councilman

City politics could enter a new era of harmony with last week’s election of William H. Horton.

Horton, a 58-year-old manager at Browning Automotive Group in Cerritos, said he plans to avoid the bitter fighting between Mayor Sal Sapien and outgoing Councilman David John Shawver that has frozen the council in past years.

Shawver did not run for reelection, citing “personal attacks” he said were made on him by Sapien. Shawver said that Horton will continue to bear his flag of protest. “A lot of his views are really similar to mine,” he said. “He’s kind of replacing me.”

But Horton disputed Shawver’s assessment. “I’m not anybody’s man,” he said, explaining that he will fill Shawver’s council seat but not follow his politics. “Sal and I, we get along fine,” Horton said.

Shawver and Sapien have a history of conflict, from an attempt to force a recall election against Sapien in 1991 to the constant battles between the two during council meetings.

Shawver denied that he was involved in the recall attempt, though Councilman Harry Dotson said he and former Mayor Ed Allen joined Shawver in the effort.

Dotson said the fighting at council meetings slows down the process of city government. In explaining a recent 22-minute meeting, he said, “the only reason it was so short was that Sapien and Shawver weren’t shouting at each other.”

Votes at council meetings frequently divide with Shawver and Dotson voting on one side and Sapien and Councilmen Don Martinez and Joe Harris voting against them.

“I don’t support (Sapien). It just happens that we think a lot alike,” Harris said recently.

“A united council can accomplish a lot more,” said Sapien, who said he hopes Horton will work with the council majority. Sapien said Horton will join the council as soon as the registrar finishes counting the votes. He will probably start at the Nov. 24 or Dec. 8 meeting, Sapien said.

“I hope we’ll begin to move forward,” said Dotson.

Horton and Sapien agree on some issues: the importance of increasing police services and the need to attract new business to the city.

But while Sapien said he believes that the Sheriff’s Department is providing adequate protection, Horton has said he thinks the city should have considered more thoroughly Garden Grove’s proposal to provide services. The preliminary proposal was $250,000 cheaper than the city’s contract with the Sheriff’s Department, but City Manager Terry Matz told the council it would not provide a comparable level of service.

Sapien said that from information in the informal proposal, he is sure the Sheriff’s Department is providing the best value for the dollar, especially since they have access to countywide services.

But Dotson said he is still interested in the Garden Grove proposal, “if they can give us like service.”

Horton, in his campaign, also challenged the need for the $5-million City Hall project that is underway. Horton said the redevelopment funds should have gone to help troubled businesses. He will probably press the council, which acts as the Redevelopment Agency, to help out local businesses--something Sapien has already tried to do by lowering fees for special events.