By KENDRA SITTON
“After 22 years… my future is going to change,” said Council member Bill Baber at the La Mesa City Council Meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 22.
Baber announced at the end of the meeting that he will not be seeking a third term during the mid-term elections. Instead, he plans to retire and hopefully spend time with his grandchildren (he does not have any grandchildren yet).
Baber has been a longtime elected official in the area, serving first as a trustee for La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools before winning a seat on the city council in 2014.
Baber explained that he is making the announcement early because the previous occupant of his seat also announced early and reached out to Baber to run. The extra time let him be prepared for the election.
“I want to pass forward that gift to the next group of candidates,” he said. “Campaigns in this city are intense. They’re expensive and take a lot of time so I want to give every candidate who’s thinking of joining this great body enough time to prep and prepare.”
During his remaining 10 months in office, Baber promised to focus on finishing up projects that were underway in 2020. He also promised to meet with each city council member to figure out what the next year would hold.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to be productive,” Baber said.
He encouraged his constituents to still contact him with complaints and also thanked many people for contributing to make La Mesa the best place to live in the country.
Throughout two decades in elected office, he was a registered Republican although in 2020 he switched to the Common Sense Party.
Of the other city council members, Colin Parent and Jack Shu are Democrats and recently-elected Laura Lothian is a Republican. Lothian won a special term and faces reelection in November alongside whoever will fill Baber’s seat. Neither Democrat on the council will need to seek reelection in December so Lothian will be the only incumbent in need of a win to stay on the council.
Mayor Mark Arapostathis is an independent. He may seek reelection as well.
Nineteen of the 22 years in office, Baber said he worked alongside Arapostathis. He joked that when they first started working together, both of the balding men still had hair.
Baber led the campaign to pass ordinances to add term limits and tax marijuana businesses in the city. He currently represents La Mesa at SANDAG and on the new San Diego Community Power Joint Powers Authority (SDCP).
— Reach Kendra Sitton at kendra@sdnews.com.
