3 File to Run for City Treasurer

Three people have thrown their hat into the ring for the Redondo Beach city treasurer race, according to City Clerk Eleanor Manzano.

Former Councilman Chris Cagle, Councilman Steve Diels and activist Dawn Esser have filed papers to run, Manzano said. The election will be held May 14—the same date as a potential runoff election from the March 5 municipal election.

Because there are four candidates for mayor and District 1 councilman, city officials say it's likely that no candidate in at least one of the races will capture 50 percent of the vote plus one to win the seat outright.

If no candidate for city treasurer captures 50 percent of the vote plus one on May 14, the runoff election would take place during the summer, Manzano said.

The city treasurer position comes with an annual salary of $116,950; a cellphone; a car allowance; health insurance; and a pension.

All three candidates have been involved in local politics. Cagle represented District 2 from 2003 until he was termed out in 2009; Diels is finishing up his second and final term as District 4 councilman; and Esser is a leader of the NoPowerPlant.com political action committee, which spearheaded the campaign to get Measure A—also known as the Power Plant Phase-Out Initiative—on the March ballot.

The city treasurer position opened when former City Treasurer Ernie O'Dell retired in December. Because he had more than two years left on his term, the city charter dictated that an election must be held to find his replacement.

In the meantime, Tom Gaian has been appointed acting city treasurer.