Two candidates for the North Westwood Neighborhood Council selection are running as independents, separate from the Westwood Forward slate.

The Department of Neighborhood Empowerment released an official list of candidates for the NWWNC on Oct. 16.

DONE, which oversees neighborhood councils in Los Angeles, published an official list of candidates for the NWWNC council selection set for Oct. 25. Twenty-one candidates have been listed, with 19 positions to fill on the council.

Westwood Forward’s slate, a coalition of students, homeowners and local stakeholders, comprises 19 of the 21 candidates officially listed for the selection. Two candidates are running independently.

Furkan Yalcin, a fourth-year political science student, is an independent candidate running for an at-large seat on the council. He said he wants to promote housing, public transit and representation of stakeholders on the council.

“There’s a lot of codes … that restrict fast casual restaurants and housing codes (that restrict) what can be built, and bike lanes – there’s so much that can be done,” Yalcin said.

Yalcin said he tried to apply for the Westwood Forward slate, but was not accepted because of the large number of applicants running for the slate.

“My vision is basically the same as Westwood Forward’s, just because everything that they’ve proposed is what needs to be done in Westwood,” Yalcin said.

Westwood Forward is running on a platform of addressing issues such as affordable housing and a lack of nightlife entertainment in the area.

Kyle Ruane, a graduate student in business administration, is an independent candidate running for a graduate student position on the council. He said he wants to bridge the gaps between different stakeholders and use his knowledge of real estate to help advise the council on housing issues.

“There’s a lot of potential in Westwood that hasn’t happened yet,” Ruane said.

Ruane said he didn’t hear about the Westwood Forward slate until after they finalized their applicants, but agrees with their plans for Westwood.

“I feel very aligned with what they’re trying to do in the area,” Ruane said.

Michael Skiles, president of the Graduate Students Association and member of Westwood Forward, said he thinks both independent candidates will engage more people in the selection and gives voters more choice.

“Both will engage voters that Westwood Forward on its own couldn’t, and we appreciate that voters will have some more voices and some options,” Skiles said.

Published by David Gray

Gray is the 2019-2020 News editor of the Daily Bruin. He was previously an assistant News editor and a reporter for the city and crime beat. He is also a third-year political science student at UCLA.

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