Costa alum runs for 2016 Supervisor of District Four on the LA County Board of Supervisors

By Max Rosenberg
Staff Writer

Mira Costa has already had alumni achieve great things in the community, but no one would have guessed that one of their own would be supervising communities throughout LA County.

Steve Napolitano( Mira Costa 1984 Alumn) is running to be the 2016 Supervisor of District Four on the LA County Board of Supervisors. There are five representatives who are the main governing body of the five Los Angeles County Districts. In the period of two years, four new supervisors will be elected.

“I’m running for Supervisor for the same reasons I first ran for Manhattan Beach City Council,” Napolitano said. “I want to make a difference, to make things better, and to give a voice to those who don’t feel they have one.”

District four is currently supervised by Don Knabe. It includes twenty seven cities including Manhattan and Hermosa Beach. It stretches from Palos Verdes to Marina Del Rey and from Long Beach to Diamond Bar. It also includes large economic centers including LAX and the Los Angeles Ports.

“I go to many events and talk to staffs and elected officials of the cities on a daily basis,” Napolitano said. “Every hour of every day is different when you’re a County Supervisor and I want to keep LA county working for the people.”

Napolitano was elected to Manhattan Beach city council in 1992 when he was only 26, and continued to serve until terming out in 2005. For the last ten years, he has worked as Senior Deputy under Supervisor Knabe, representing him in the South Bay communities.  Knabe now endorses Napolitano’s campaign.

“Steve Napolitano is the best choice for Supervisor of Los Angeles County’s Fourth District in 2016,” Knabe said in his endorsement statement. “Now more than ever, we need someone who will continue our legacy of being fiscally responsible so that we can provide the programs and services that our 10 million residents demand.”

According to Napolitano, a few aspects he wishes address is to fight rising crime rates by hiring more sheriffs through veterans hiring initiatives, expand the Metro Board by two members to give smaller cities more representation, and allow for more county services for the children and the homeless.

“I want to build on Supervisor Knabe’s incredible legacy of support for our communities and bring my own vision to creating an LA County for the 21st Century,” Napolitano said.

Steve Napolitano still lives in the city he grew up in, maintaining a number of close friends in Manhattan Beach. The former mayor stated that he and the office of Supervisor Knabe support many nonprofits in Manhattan Beach and have worked on capital improvement projects at the beach.

“Steve was always a great student and a little bit more mature, which is why he was elected to be the youngest mayor of Manhattan Beach,” English teacher at Mira Costa and long friend of Napolitano Michael McAvin said. “Because of his vast experience in the South Bay and LA County, I think he will be a great supervisor.”