Four in running to fill Khan's seat on Lodi City Council

Mar. 28—A former Lodi City Council member and one of the candidates from the 2020 election are just two of four applicants looking to fill the vacant District 4 seat this week.

JoAnne Mounce, who served on the council for 16 years and took third in 2020, has submitted her application to return to the dais, as has Ramon Yepez, who finished second that year behind ousted councilman Shakir Khan.

Also vying for the seat is Alex Aliferis, a substitute teacher who has been a regular fixture at council meetings, and Diego Maldonado, president and CEO of Time Capital Group, a real estate investment firm in Sacramento.

Mounce was first elected to the council in 2004, and served as mayor in 2008 and 2012.

During her time on the council, Mounce was involved on a variety of civic panels, including the San Joaquin Partnership Board of Directors, the San Joaquin Mayors and City Managers group and the San Joaquin Valley Special Cities Selection Committee, as well as the Lodi 2X2 Committee and the Greater Lodi Area Youth Commission, among others.

She was also a founding member of the Lodi Improvement Committee.

"As a city council member from 2005 to 2020, I have the experience and knowledge to step into the District 4 seat with very little learning curve," Mounce said in her application. "I would be excited and humbled to serve the remainder of the term. Excited to assist the council with current projects, historical preservation, and District 4 challenges."

In the 2020 election, Mounce garnered 473 votes in a race for the District 4 seat, while Ramon Yepez received 555.

Yepez is a Lodi High School alum who earned a bachelor's degree in economics from University of the Pacific in 2011 and a master's degree in data science in 2018.

He is currently employed by Biome Makers, Inc. in West Sacramento.

In his application, Yepez said he was moved by the openness of people who shared their problems with me him during the 2020 campaign, and wants to be able to take their concerns to the council.

"I believe that I understand the issues my neighbors are concerned about," he said. "And I know my neighbors will communicate with me about issues as they arise. I'm an excellent listener who wants the people of District 4 to have a say in decisions that affect them."

While never having served on the council, Aliferis is no stranger to the Lodi community.

The Lodi High School alum has spoken at many council meetings on a variety of topics, from opposing 5G cell phone towers, increased taxes and COVID-19 mandates, as well as questioning why the the councilman he is seeking to replace was ever elected at all.

Aliferis said in his application that the city's unfunded liability pension plan would be a priority, as well as properly funding the city's fire and police departments.

"Understanding that Lodi is a strong city manager form of government, with direction from the city council members, it is imperative that a new council member be able to work cooperatively with city government, employees, as well as other city council members," he said. "A high priority of mine would be to focus on the budget and the expenditures required to 'run' the city of Lodi. On that note, understanding from where the city derives its revenues, (such as) sales taxes, property taxes and permitting processes in the growing city helps keeps our city in a good financial state."

Maldonado is another Lodi High alum, and said he is a licensed Realtor with more than 10 years of experience in the residential and commercial markets helping clients find, buy, sell and manage multifamily properties across the country.

His company is a multifamily investment syndication that pools capital from investors to acquire large-scale apartment complexes with cash flow and appreciation potential.

He said he should be appointed to the District 4 seat because he has a strong background in the community and civic engagement, specifically in local organizations that aim to improve the quality of life and well-being for Lodi residents.

"Through these experiences, I have gained valuable skills and insights that prepare me for the city council role," he said. "I have learned how to collaborate with diverse stakeholders, communicate effectively with different audiences, and advocate for the needs and interests of our community. I am passionate about making our city a better place to live, work, and play for everyone."

The four applicants will be filling the seat vacated by Khan, who the city said effectively resigned after his February arrested on multiple voter fraud charges related to the 2020 election.

Allen Sawyer, Khan's attorney, has argued that his client was coerced into resigning under duress and remains a member of the council.

Sawyer has told the City of Lodi that he intends to file a motion in the California Supreme Court's Eastern District to stop the city from replacing his client.

The council was scheduled to discus the pending litigation in closed session during a special meeting Tuesday morning, but was unable to do so due to lack of quorum at Carnegie Forum.

Vice Mayor Lisa Craig attended the meeting remotely, but City Attorney Janice Magdich said all four sitting council members were required to be at Carnegie Forum to discuss closed session.

The closed session will be held at a later date, Magdich said.

The council will interview the four District 4 applicants at a special meeting Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at the LOEL Center, 105 S. Washington St.

If an applicant is not chosen Wednesday night, the council will make its decision at an April 5 special meeting at 5:30 p.m.