Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson, a longtime resident of Culver City who represented the area as the Speaker of the California State Assembly, has announced his endorsement of business owner, Civil Service Commissioner and lifelong Culver City resident Albert Vera for Culver City Council.

"I'm urging everyone in Culver City to vote for Albert Vera on April 10," Wesson said. "Al Vera is the type of man who knows how to get things done. He's the type of man who puts 'we' first ... He understands that we all need to work side by side. He will help bring the city together and accomplish the things that this great city of Culver City needs to get done."

"I am anxious to bring my business experience to City Hall, and I know that from solving the homelessness issue to addressing traffic concerns we need to work closely with the City of Los Angeles," Vera said. "That is why Herb Wesson's endorsement means so much to me. I know that, working together, our two cities can make great strides in coming up with intelligent ways to deal with traffic, transportation and mobility.

"We need to move our city forward by working together to address our challenges and take advantage of the opportunities we have before us. We need to balance economic development with the special qualities that make Culver City unique. I know that I can do that."

Vera said his vision for Culver City's future includes focusing on the need for attainable housing for seniors and young professionals, support for the city's protective services and the need to be smart about traffic and development.

"We have attracted some great high-tech companies, brought our city a new public transportation hub and seen lots of positive development, but all that success comes with a price," he said. "We need to make sure that development is done correctly. We need to take care of the less fortunate. And we need to do that without constantly coming to our residents to increase taxes."

Vera, whose father served 12 years on the City Council from 1992-2000 and from 2002-2006, said he hopes to give back to the community that supported him and his family through good times and bad by serving on the Council and guiding the city as it takes on future challenges.

Born in Culver City, Vera attended St. Augustine Elementary School and St. Bernard high school, while helping his parents, Albert and Ursula, in their landmark Sorrento Italian Market on Sepulveda Boulevard. He served for 15 years as a Culver City Police Department reserve officer, while continuing to help run Sorrento, during which time he got married and had a daughter, Alexandria.

Vera has maintained the broad philanthropic efforts undertaken by his father, something he said has shaped his attitude toward how the city should be run.

"We need to look out for everyone who calls this city 'home,'" Vera said. "Culver City should be a safe and welcoming environment for families at all levels of the economic spectrum, and I am committed to making sure our schools, our police department, our fire department and our parks system have the tools and resources they need to create that environment."

Vera is a member of the Culver City Exchange Club and has served on both the Culver City Landlord/Tenant Board and the Culver City Civil Service Commission, where he currently serves as part of the five-member commission charged with advising the City Council on all matters concerning Human Resources administration.

Vera also serves on the Culver City Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Culver City Palms Family YMCA Board of Managers and the board of Upward Bound House, a non-profit agency that works to find permanent, supportive housing for homeless children and their families.

For more information about Vera and his campaign, please visit http://www.veraforcouncil.com.