By Mary O’KEEFE

Tonight’s meeting of the Crescenta Valley Town Council (CVTC) will be the second meeting that president Chris Kilpatrick will helm while former president Harry Leon observes as vice president.

As Kilpatrick learns the ropes of the CVTC, Leon will stay at his side to mentor him; however, there is no doubt there is a new president in place … and Leon feels it was time for the passing of the gavel.

“I am here to mentor and support,” he said. “[But] I am still around. It is all about supporting the community. It doesn’t matter if I am president or vice president.”

At Leon’s core is the love for his community. He has been on the CVTC since 2010, serving as vice president from 2014 to 2016 and as president from 2017 to 2022. He serves the community in many ways outside the CVTC including as a Los Angeles County commissioner on the Dept. of Consumer and Business Affairs, a member of the LA County Sheriff’s Dept. (LASD) volunteer and on the LASD Advisory Board that, in part, assists in selecting the local LASD captain.

“I still want to be the eyes and ears of the community,” he said.

He said when he first ran for the CVTC he didn’t plan on being president and didn’t have an agenda; he just wanted to help the community be a better place. He felt the best way to do that was to encourage members of the CVTC to be involved with many of the local organizations.

“La Crescenta is a very distinguished community,” he said.

The CVTC acts as an advisory board and is a liaison between the community and the office of the 5^th District of the LA County Board of Supervisors (Kathryn Barger currently holds the supervisor’s position). The Council deals with a variety of local issues – some that are brought to the attention of council members by other members and some that are brought to the forefront by community members.

Leon credits councilmembers who mentored him when he was first elected to the CVTC.

“I give a great [deal] of credit to past presidents Cheryl Davis and Robbyn Battles. They were instrumental in [shaping my Council future],” he said. “I was impressed by how they allocated their time and effort for the community.”

He admitted being on the Council has not always been a smooth ride especially in the last few years. He compares CVTC with a family – and acknowledges that, like in any family, there can be strained relationships.

“I took the high road,” he said of the disagreements and issues that occurred over the years.

Though he said the Council now “works better” he reiterated it is like a work family and relationships can become strained.

Leon added there are some issues the Council has been looking at and will continue to explore and share information with the community including SB 9, SB 10 and traffic safety especially around schools.

He said he is hoping to continue to guide CVTC members.

“There are a lot of people who come and go on [the town council],” he said. “But [those who run for a position on the Council] should work for the people of La Crescenta and not for their own political agenda or their own ego. They need to work for the constituents.”

He said he knows that nothing stays the same and change is coming to La Crescenta, including new laws and ordinances, and he said it is important for the community to be informed about these changes before they are set into law.

“I know change is coming and [La Crescenta] just wants a seat at the table when it happens,” he said.