For the past few years, Eric Ching has been walking neighborhoods in Walnut as part of an exercise group.  He said he often stops and chats with the people he meets about the community, their likes and their concerns.

Little did Ching know when he started those conversations that a few years later he would be walking those same streets and talking to residents as a Walnut City Council candidate, he said.

“This city is the best because of the residents,” said the 44-year-old telecommunications business owner.  “I will try to make this city a better city or at least keep it one of the top in the United States.”

Mayor Nancy Tragarz and Councilman Antonio “Tony” Cartagena, along with challengers Michael West and John Saleeby, also are running for the three seats.  Councilman Joaquin Lim has decided not to run for re-election. The election is April 10.

The married father of two has been active in the community, recently serving as president of the Chinese-American Association of Walnut.  He said he stepped down from that post to run, as required by the association.

Ching said recent actions by the council spurred his run.  He said he felt the emergency ordinance the council approved related to selecting commissioners was unprecedented and unwarranted.  Lim had nominated candidate and frequent council critic West for the commission.  At that same meeting, the council approved the emergency ordinance before West’s post was considered.  City Attorney Michael Montgomery later said that West could not be appointed because the commissioner Lim wanted to replace had asked for a leave instead of resigning, as required to appoint.

Lim, who lives on the same street as both men, subsequently nominated Ching for the now vacant Planning Commission seat, but the appointment was tabled after the council members said they did not have enough information about the nominee to vote.  The council is revamping its selection process for all commissioners.

“A lot of people want me to step up and do something for the community,” he said. “That really pushed me over the edge.”

If elected, Ching said his priorities would be focusing on the city’s budget, pushing to do away with the red light camera at Grand Avenue and Amar Road, and preserving Walnut.  He also has concerns about crime and the Lighting and Open Space Maintenance District costs, especially in the new Three Oaks development where the rate residents pay is the highest, he said. 

Ching said city leaders need to do more community outreach related to developing vacant parcels such as the one at Grand Avenue and La Puente Road and proposed cell phone towers. 

“They should go talk to the people,” he said, “talk to the people in the city and get their input.”