Chula Vista City Council candidate Devonna Almagro is no longer executive director of the county's crime commission, a position she had held for eight months and listed on her ballot statement.
Almagro's occupation is described on the June ballot as “executive director, nonprofit.” Her two opponents in the election say that designation could confuse voters.
San Diego County Crime Commission Chairman Charles Kopp said Almagro left the part-time position April 4.
Ballot designations were due in early March, and it's too late for Almagro's opponents to challenge hers. The deadline for a protest to be filed was March 19, according to the county Registrar of Voters Office.
Candidate Pamela Bensoussan said the ballot designation is supposed to describe a candidate's primary job. “Clearly, hers doesn't,” she said.
“The ballot pamphlet is crucial information for voters looking for facts about candidates and should not be misleading,” Bensoussan said.
Russ Hall, the other candidate, said the ballot designation is obviously wrong, but “I don't know if there's anything that can be done about it.”
The decision for Almagro to leave her job was made “by mutual agreement” with the board of directors, Kopp said.
“We enjoyed our relationship with Devonna but since she decided to run for office, she was not able to commit the time to the crime commission that was required,” he said.
Almagro said she is now working as a consultant for Imaginaction, a small marketing company based in Chula Vista and owned by Jesus Cardenas. She said that she is a dues-paying member of the crime commission and will remain involved in its outreach efforts.
“It is important for me to dedicate as much time as necessary to my race in order to get my message out and to best serve the residents of Chula Vista,” she said.
The San Diego Crime Commission, founded in 1981, is a tax-exempt nonprofit that helps citizens get involved in the fight against crime.
Almagro, 29, started with the crime commission in August and moved to Chula Vista in October. In March, she declared her candidacy for City Council Seat No. 3, which is being vacated by Jerry Rindone because of term limits. Bensoussan and Hall already had declared their candidacy.
Although Almagro is a newcomer to Chula Vista elections, she has been active in politics.
“My background has been in working in the nonprofit sector and with the California Democratic Party as a community organizer,” Almagro said. She is the secretary of the Chicano Democratic Association, a founding member of the South Bay Young Democrats, and a member of the South Bay Forum political action committee and the House of Mexico.
Almagro has not reported raising or spending any money.
Hall, 50, works in special education in the San Diego Unified School District. A 41-year Chula Vista resident, he is a member of the Growth Management Oversight Commission. Hall made his first run for the council in 2006 and received 22 percent of the votes. He has raised $20,987 in campaign contributions.
Bensoussan, 57, is a certified appraiser. She is a native of Chula Vista, a planning commissioner and president of the city's Northwest Civic Association. She has raised $17,372 for her campaign.
Tanya Mannes: (619) 498-6639; tanya.mannes@uniontrib.com
