Name: Youngest councilmember in LA uses skateboard to check in with residents
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Youngest councilmember in LA uses skateboard to check in with residents

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Open in Our AppGet the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app.SHAREBELL GARDENS, Calif. — Bell Gardens Councilmember Jorgel Chavez is not what a stereotypical politician looks like and that’s what he said got him the job.He ran his campaign on wheels. Chavez said it’s what won him the seat as the youngest councilmember in LA County.The 23-year-old set out on his skateboard last fall, hitting just about every street in his Bell Gardens hometown.He introduced himself to every resident who answered the door as the honest candidate who they could hold accountable.“There was a lot of things that I went through growing up in this community that motivated me to want to get into this office and I think after realizing it, there needed to be a person who’s going to be advocating for the issues at hand that people are going through day-to-day," Councilmember Chavez explained.Issues like COVID-19, parking, street sweeping and more, he explained and it worked. Now, it's been several months since his community trusted him in office, so he’s setting out again to check in.Chavez&nbsp;said Bell Gardens is made up of low income renters who don’t have much time to keep up with city politics, so he meets them at their homes to hear their concerns and what still needs improvement.One resident he touched base with told him in Spanish that she is concerned there isn't enough street lighting, or lighting in general, in a nearby park.Chavez said out of 100 doors he knocks on, 95 will speak Spanish.Knowing the language of his community, literally being a part of it and wanting change is what he thinks set him apart from the other candidates.Across the street from the last neighbor, he adjusted a lawn sign that is still hanging from the front gate of the apartment he and his parents live in.The sign is one of just a handful Jorgel could afford with the $6,500 he raised for his entire campaign. It’s not much compared to the $50,000 he said some opponents had, so in place of leaving a costly flyer with each resident, he had to leave a good impression instead.“In terms of votes, I beat out three incumbents," Chavez explained. "One of the incumbents, he had been in office since I was 2 years young and I felt like there has to be a change, we have to pass that baton on.”Now that he has the baton, Chavez&nbsp;is juggling it with another important role. He’s a student at USC getting his progressive degree. When he’s not at City Hall, he’s in class or writing his capstone about homelessness, which is the same issue he ran on during his campaign.“I’m working specifically on the community engagement and outreach efforts that they’re doing compared to other cities and how we can implement better strategies to essentially have a more effective homelessness plan," he explained of the nearby town he was assigned for his capstone.They’re issues Chavez&nbsp;said will not be solved in the four short years he’s in office, but if he makes any progress and encourages the next generation, he said he's done his job.“That’s what it really is about, inspiring other young people to also run for this," he said. "We need more young people in these positions because we have these perspectives that sometimes people in [office] haven’t even thought about.”Riding his skateboard through his city, Councilmember Chavez is changing the face of politics one push at a time.Councilmember Chavez said he prides himself on being accessible and gives his cell phone number out like candy, so if you’re a Bell Gardens resident with issues regarding the city, he wants you to reach out to him at 323-305-4567.

Open in Our AppGet the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app.SHAREBELL GARDENS, Calif. — Bell Gardens Councilmember Jorgel Chavez is not what a stereotypical politician looks like and that’s what he said got him the job.He ran his campaign on wheels. Chavez said it’s what won him the seat as the youngest councilmember in LA County.The 23-year-old set out on his skateboard last fall, hitting just about every street in his Bell Gardens hometown.He introduced himself to every resident who answered the door as the honest candidate who they could hold...

Youngest councilmember in LA uses skateboard to check in with residents

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