For Immediate Release
June 3, 2016
SMART General Committee 875 Endorses Ara Najarian for County Supervisor
Irwindale CA - General Chairman Marco Gudino and SMART General Committee 875 is proud to endorse Ara Najarian for Los Angeles County Supervisor’s Fifth District.
Ara Najarian has served the communities of Los Angeles County in the District Attorney’s Office, on the Glendale City Council, and for 10 years on the LA Metro Executive Board. His knowledge, experience and support for public transportation is arguably the greatest of any other candidate running for the Fifth District seat.
Last year General Chairman Marco Gudino invited four of the major candidates in the race to speak about their campaigns and their vision for LA County public transportation. Both Ara Najarian and Kathryn Barger, Chief of Staff for County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, returned the requests to meet. LA County Prosecutor Elan Carr and LA City Councilmember Mitchell Englander did not reply to the request.
General Chairman Gudino was impressed with both Najarian and Barger following the meetings. Both had a clear vision for public transportation, the knowledge and experience to see those visions through and both saw SMART Transportation and the operators for LA Metro as a major part in shaping that future. It was Najarian though, that took the time and effort to continue the conversation over the next year to gain a greater perspective of the issues important to the operators of LA Metro. As a Director for the LA Metro Board, Ara Najarian has expressed a displeasure for reducing bus lines, eliminating vital transportation services and subcontracting work that can and should be done by LA Metro and its employees. To the contrary, Najarian has been a stalwart proponent for expanding LA Metro’s Bus Rapid Transit services to more parts of LA County.
Ara Najarian is a knowledgeable and accomplished public servant with a forward thinking plan for public transportation. His willingness to listen to and consult with the workers that make public transportation possible, is a valuable resource that has been missing in the 5th District for a long time. With Ara Najarian on the Board of Supervisors, SMART General Committee 875 can see a bright future for the citizens of LA County as well as the patrons and workers of LA Metro.