5th District Council Race Heats Up

Even with seven months remaining before the next municipal elections, the race for the 5th District City Council seat began to heat up Friday, with challenger Jeff Brain accusing incumbent Mike Feuer of failing to listen to his constituents.

At a City Hall news conference, Brain accused Feuer of denying local business owners control in selection of a consultant to help establish a business improvement district in the Melrose/Fairfax area.

“We can’t afford to have this for another four years,” Brain said.

While Feuer shrugged off the charges, his aides fired back, saying Brain was being hypocritical because he worked for a company that sought the $65,000 consulting job through the very process that Brain criticizes.

Feuer declined to address Brain’s accusations, saying only, “I’m proud of my accomplishments in the district.”

Brain and Feuer locked horns last year in a campaign to complete the two years remaining in an uncompleted term to represent the district that stretches from Sherman Oaks to Wilshire Boulevard.

Although Feuer easily outdistanced Brain in the primary, the April campaign is expected to create some sparks as the two clash again.

Brain, a Sherman Oaks Realtor and leading proponent for a bill to make a Valley secession easier, unveiled a petition with 192 signature, protesting the creation of a panel of city officials and Melrose business owners to select a consultant for the improvement district. The petition complains that not enough business owners were involved in the process.

Brain acknowledged that he works as an independent consultant for Kosmot and Associates, which was part of a team seeking the consultant job. But Brain said he was not planning on working on the business improvement project.

Jane Blumenfeld, Feuer’s chief of staff, defended the selection of the improvement district consultant, saying the panel that chose the firm included three business owners from the neighborhood. The panel ultimately hired the partnership of David Taussig and Associates and Stoorza, Ziegaus and Metzger Inc.

In a related development, Mayor Richard Riordan asked Brain for his resignation as a member of the city’s Productivity Commission.

Although it is customary for candidates to resign from city commissions after launching a campaign to avoid potential conflicts of interest, City Hall sources say Riordan is upset with Brain because the mayor believed Brain would stay on the commission and not run for political office next year.

Brain denied he ever made such a promise to Riordan, saying he only promised he would not run so long as Feuer did a good job as councilman.

“I never made an absolute promise,” Brain said.