Whatever you do, don’t call David Gafin a politician.

The retired Downey councilmember spent eight years behind the dais, including one year as mayor, before term limits ended his time at City Hall.

But as David sees it, his role on the council was just another way for him to give back to the community he calls home.

“I always thought, ‘What’s best?’ Not for me or the city staff per se, but what’s best for the whole community?” David said about his time as an elected official. “And if it went contrary to what people thought, and they couldn’t explain it to me to change my mind, I didn’t mind being on the bottom end of a vote. Politician? No, I never wanted to be one.

“When I got out of it after eight years, I had a few people come to me and say, ‘Are you going to continue? Are young going to go to the Assembly?’ I said no, this is as far as I ever want to go in politics. Now I actually feel like I’m helping somebody in my community rather than just a cog blocking the system.”

David was only 6 when his family moved to Downey. He went through the Downey school system, attending Alameda and Gauldin elementary schools, Woodruff Junior High School, and Downey High School. He earned an Associate of Arts Degree in Accounting from Cerritos College (graduating with honors) and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (with an emphasis in accounting) from Cal State Fullerton.

After a few years working for large accounting firms, he started his own practice and never looked back. He’d be self-employed for 33 years as a certified public accountant.

In the early 1980s, Don Dixon got David involved with the Downey Chamber of Commerce. And when you’re an accountant by trade, all the local non-profits and service clubs inevitably will ask you to serve as treasurer. David usually obliged.

David enjoys volunteering but there was another reason for his initial plunge into community service: guilt.

The Vietnam War was going on and young men everywhere were being drafted into service. David’s number was eventually called but before he was shipped overseas, President Nixon had started the process of bringing the troops home.

“There was a definite sense of guilt,” David said. “But I figured if I couldn’t serve my country by being drafted into the service, I could serve my country in this way, by volunteering in my community.”

David won a seat on the Downey City Council in 2004 and immediately put his financial expertise to work, helping Downey grow its financial reserves. This would prove critically important in 2008 when the global financial crisis hit; Downey was able to weather the storm without extensive disruptions to local programs or service.

Today, David is still active with various committees and organizations. Perhaps most importantly, he sits on the Measure S citizens bond oversight committee, ensuring that proceeds of the tax increase approved by Downey voters are properly spent.

He retired as an accountant in December 2017, trading his suit and tie for jeans and a sweatshirt, perfect attire for road trips up north with his wife, Brenda.

How is retirement going?

“It’s going great,” he says. “I recommend it for everyone.”