Former Little League president joins city council race

Ernesto Valle said he running for Downey city council to give District 3 residents “a voice.” (PHOTO BY ALEX DOMINGUEZ)

DOWNEY — Community volunteer Ernesto Valle has announced his candidacy for the District 3 City Council seat.

A resident of Downey since 2007, Valle is likely most known for his role at Northwest Downey Little League (NWDLL), where he has sat at the helm as president for the past five years. He also served as PTA president at Maude Price Elementary School for one year.

Married to wife Diana, he has a stepdaughter, son, and two daughters ranging between age 3 and 20. He works as an insurance agent with Farmers Insurance.

He enters the political arena “to give our residents in District 3 back a voice.”

“I’ve been in District 3 I believe since 2007 living here; I’ve never known my council person,” said Valle. “The last few years has been tough for District 3. I feel we haven’t really had a voice. There’s things that I think we need to address, and sometimes I think it’s difficult to know who to address them with, or feel that something is getting done.”

His platform begins with the youth.

“We can’t have a future without our youth,” said Valle. “I see a lot of candidates say crime, homeless, which are part of my platform, but you can’t address that without addressing the youth.”

Valle made note of a toy drive that was put on by NWDLL, where the organization collected 1,000 toys to distribute, however found that many children were instead asking for clothes and basic toiletries.

“What does that tell me? When we have people saying we have to attack homelessness, these are our kids, our youth,” said Valle. “Before it even gets to that situation, what are we doing for our youth here in the city of Downey to ensure that we don’t get to that point?”

Valle suggested that the city should be a better partner to Downey Unified School District.

“When I came to Downey originally, there was 22 kids per classroom. Now, last time I checked in my daughter’s classroom at Price, there’s 38 to 41 to 42 kids,” said Valle. “What’s going on here? We have to help our youth, we have to continue to provide them programs, we have to continue to help them, make sure they’re educated… What can we do to better prepare them and equip them to make sure that they’re not found in that position?”

Valle also took aim at the recent DUSD bond that was passed by voters last year in support of renovating and updating Downey’s elementary schools, saying that Downey should help “our kids first.”

“We just passed a measure recently – they said it wasn’t a tax, but I’m a homeowner it was really a tax – for the school, to help the students; the bond,” said Valle. “If you look at how many kids are here from other areas – Bell Gardens, South Gate, whatnot – you’re looking at about from what I understand is 65 percent plus, so why are we getting taxed to help them?

Ernesto Valle is proposing a tax on students who attend Downey Unified schools but live outside the district. (PHOTO BY ALEX DOMINGUEZ)

“I want to help everyone, but maybe we say we take a different approach and say ‘Hey, if you’re out of Downey, maybe we tax you with $15 a month’ instead of attacking our homeowners and businesses to pay for that influx because we now need to make up for that revenue.”

Valle expressed interest in helping create a pathway for renters to become homeowners.

“I know renters was a big thing in the last couple of years. Well, how can we help those renters become homeowners? How can we transition that bridge,” said Valle. “Are we working with the local banks, the credit unions? There’s special programs. I have a big banking industry background, and there’s a lot of programs that we can help to gain for our people so they can stop becoming renters and get into becoming homeowners.”

“Phase three” of Valle’s campaign tackles crime, drugs, and homelessness.

“One of the biggest problems, and again it all ties in if we start with our youth, is fentanyl, the drugs in our schools,” said Valle. “It’s very sad what’s going on in our schools with the crime. Everyone talks crime in Downey, but they talk about the regular crime.”

He reflected on an incident that occurred at Furman Park, in which members of NWDLL caught an individual attempting to take pictures of a kid inside the bathrooms.

“We finally get him, we corner him…It takes Downey PD 40 minutes to get here,” said Valle. “They found heroin and a syringe in his bag, and then he was here the next day. So, there’s a drug problem.

“I love Downey PD, but are we giving them the right resources? Do we know what they’re going through?”

On homelessness, he says that people “just want to keep throwing money at the problem.”

“What I propose is do something a little bit different,” said Valle. “Number one, enforce our laws. Number two is make sure we’re getting the right support by identifying is it a mental disease, is it because of drug addiction, or is it because you’re down on your luck?

“If we identify that you are someone we can help because you’re on substance abuse or because you’re down on your luck, how about we create a trade center here in Downey that can get you support, get you back on your feet, and then what we can do is go to the local businesses and say, ‘Hey, you know what Mom and Pop? This person has been loitering your business for six months? Now they’re clean, we’ve helped them get back on their feet, how about you get them a job and we’ll help you with a business tax break?’”

Valle is funding his campaign through a personal donation, and through contributions. He adds that he is trying to avoid “political, normal endorsements,” instead targeting “the people of Downey.”

“Some of these people do have money and name recognition, but all of these people volunteer their time to the city of Downey,” said Valle. Not just throwing their money at the problem or whatever, but volunteering their time and resources. That’s the people I want to be endorsed by, because it does make a difference.”

He says that he is “of the community.”

“My goal is not to represent just one section or go after one vote,” said Valle. “I’m going after everyone because my goal is to represent Downey.”

Valle can be found on Instagram at @ernesto.valle67 and on Facebook.