Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

COUNCIL Member FilAm Antonio "Tony" Cartegena has been overseeing the residents of the City of Walnut for the past eight years and will continue to do so for the next few years. Earlier this year, Cartegena won his re-election bid to serve as a member of the City Council of Walnut.

In 2000, Cartegena was the first person of Philippine ancestry to serve as a member of the City Council, and the first to serve as Mayor of Walnut.

The City of Walnut is about 25 miles East of Los Angeles. The city has a population of about 30,000 and has a large FilAm population base.

Cartegena was first elected to the Walnut City Council to a four-year term in April 2000 and re-elected again to another four-year term ending in 2008.

In 2001, his peers elected him to serve as Mayor Pro Tem and the following April 2002 he was elected Mayor through April 2003 and again in September 2006 through June 2007.

Prior to his election, he served the City of Walnut as an appointed Planning Commissioner Vice Chair, an appointed member of the Walnut Transportation Committee, and an appointed member of Walnut C.A.R.E. Law and Code Enforcement Chairperson.

Since being a member of the Walnut City Council, Cartegena has been instrumental in the passage of important policies and ordinances for the city.

During his term, he has prohibited car racing and subjecting vehicles for forfeitures, prevention of loitering of criminal street gangs, banning smoking in all city parks, creation of Public Safety Committee, increasing the number of Youth Commissioners to 15, Adapted Election Campaign and Ethic Reforms, inclusion of Cultural Diverse Groups during the Concerts in the Parks, and adapted Calamba City in the Philippines as the Sister City of Walnut, according to the City of Walnut website.

When he served as Mayor, Cartegena was part of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, a coalition of mayors from 225 different United States cities, with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets."

Cartegena has also served in many different capacities besides his duties as a Council Member.

Cartegena formerly served as a member of the Executive Board of Directors of the California Contract Cities Association, an Alternate Representative to both the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments and the Foothill Transit Authority; and served as Governing Board Member for the League of California Cities, the Los Angeles County Sanitation District, and the Lanterman Monitoring Committee.

Besides serving in a variety of professional organizations, he’s also a devoted community member.

Cartegena has served as the Chair of the Walnut Family Festival Committee since 1998 and has served on the Walnut Valley Educational Foundation Board, member of the League of California Latino Caucus, Los Angeles County Filipino Employees Association (LACFAEA), Malvereno USA, Zamboanga Hermoza Club of Southern California and Lamitan Association of America.

Cartagena is the son of Major Adriano Barcelona Cartagena of Ilo-ilo and Gregoria Francisco of Leyte.

( www.asianjournal.com )

( Published on November 26, 2008 Asian Journal Los Angeles p. B3 )