(August 25) Former Ontario Councilman Rudy Favilla is campaigning hard to regain a position on the Ontario City Council, this time as mayor.
Favilla has been out of the political fray for 18 years. From 1992 until 1996 he served on the council. He cited his experience during that term, when he said the city had made major strides in its development, as well as his life and career experience in asserting he is qualified to replace current mayor Paul Leon. Leon is also being challenged by councilman Paul Vincent Avila.
Favilla made no bones about his political affiliation – he is a Democrat – and he asserted that was one reason  to usher Leon – a Republican – out the door.
The mayor of Los Angeles is a Democrat. The city council in Los Angles is primarily composed of Democrats. Los Angeles is a Democratic city. So is Ontario, but four of the members of the city council are Republicans. We are trying to get local control over Ontario Airport, which is now owned and run by Los Angeles. I am all for expanding our airport and improving our downtown. Ontario has over a hundred empty offices or businesses in our downtown. In the eighteen years I have been gone the mayor and council have not been able to come up with any solutions. Not one member of the council has business experience, or has owned or run a successful business.  I own a business that is thriving. I am a Democrat who can meet with and dialogue with the mayor of Los Angeles. I have experience as a peace officer and as a business owner. I bring that to the table. I am aligning myself with two very intelligent ladies who are running for city council – Yolanda Garcia and Reyna Machado. We need a new team and a new way of thinking that will be supportive of small businesses that will redress our unemployment situation, which in Ontario is higher than it is in most of the rest of the state.”
Favilla was employed for 28 years as a state peace officer with the California Youth Authority.  After his retirement, he teamed with his father in law to initiate a business producing mezcal from the agave plants grown at his family’s 150-acre ranch in Oaxaca, Mexico. An aspect of his business is imports into the United States.  “We produce a product utilizing the same artisanship that has been in place for 500 years,” Favilla said. “We upgraded the factory and it is quite successful.”
His first priority upon being elected mayor, Favilla said, will be to “work with the mayor of Los Angeles and Los Angeles World Airports [the division of the city of Los Angeles Department of Airports that manages Los Angeles International Airport and Ontario Airport] to reestablish local control of Ontario Airport. That would open the door to economic development not only for Ontario but the Inland Empire. My second priority would be to announce that the city of Ontario is open for business and we are going to streamline and reduce the red tape and requirements to open businesses in Ontario. I will make it so that those businesses which want to do business in Ontario can submit a one-page concept paper and the city can select from them the type of downtown it wants to build. We will partner with them to make their businesses successful  so they can hire people and improve the local economy. I would have an open arms approach and would reach out to small businesses  and not just sit back but work with them to bring unemployment down and prosperity up.  I have personally looked at a lot of different downtowns – Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Las Vegas, Denver. There are a variety of approaches that communities take to save what they have and to develop or redevelop those areas. The efforts that Ontario has made have not worked. I will work toward bringing Ontario’s downtown into the  21st century.”
Favilla said elements of his personal life give him sensitivity to issues the other candidates do not possess. “I have two daughters, aged  42 and 40. The youngest has developmental disabilities, so I have worked with her community to ensure mainstream housing and educational opportunities for the handicapped.”
Favilla said he is the most qualified of the three candidates running for mayor.
“I have five simple reasons,” he said when asked why Ontario voters should select him as their to political leader. “I am a retired peace officer with 28 years’ experience. To become a peace officer I had to have an AA degree. I understand community policing concepts and can improve police community relations. Neither Mr. Leon nor Mr. Avila have a business background or have any idea what it takes to  do business in Ontario. I have been married to the same woman for 45 years. She has been my constant partner and understands and supports me in running our business, raising a family and holding office. I have had four years experience in attracting business on city council. I was the swing vote to make the Ontario Convention Center  happen. While I was on the city council, we added 13 square miles of dairy land to Ontario, which is now  50 square mile large.     Mr. Leon has not created any new projects for Ontario, nor has Mr. Avila. Everything that Mr. Leon takes credit for was here when he got on the council and they were projects that were approved or put in place while I was in office – the Ontario Mills, the conventions center, the expansion of Ontario Airport. I have the ability to speak Spanish. Neither the mayor nor Mr. Avila can speak Spanish. I am uniquely qualified to bring Ontario into an era of prosperity.”