Vice Mayor Cheri Kelley Pulls Out of Norwalk Council Election, Sources Cite Massive Loss of Support

Vice Mayor Cheri Kelley will not run for Council in 2017.

By Brian Hews

Hews Media Group-Community News can confirm that long-time controversial Norwalk politician Cheri Kelley will not be running for City Council in March 2017.

The filing deadline is tomorrow, but sources told HMG-CN  Kelly will not run.

The same sources told HMG-CN that Vice-Mayor Kelley is pulling out because “she would have probably been embarrassed by coming in fourth or fifth place in March.”

Kelley was elected to Norwalk City Council in March 1997 and re-elected in March 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2013.

It was the 2013 election and her actions after the election that likely caused Kelley’s downward spiral and massive loss of popularity among her supporters.

HMG-CN exclusively reported that Kelley received a $17,000 from two real estate political action committees (PAC) just days before the election.

The PAC money was used for a direct mail postcard, with documents showing that the postcard and mailing house was based out of Virginia.

Norwalk Council Incumbent Cheri Kelley Receives $17,000 in Donations From Real Estate PAC’s

$9,500 came from the National Association of Realtors and the $7,500 from the California Real Estate PAC (CREPAC).

Later, another $5,500 was reported by Kelley, which brought the total to a staggering $22,500.

Even with the questionable huge contribution Kelley only won by 33 votes.

After her election win, Kelley proceeded to cast very controversial votes on simple funding projects.

Sources told HMG-CN at the time that it was political payback by Kelley, something she was very well-known for, against those that did not support her.

She voted against the massive and popular Front Street improvement, voted against helping a Norwalk little league organization run by Cecil Fielder, and cut funding to Little Lake Park.

And in what many saw as ignorance and bad leadership, during her tenure, Norwalk saw one of the highest murder rates in its history.

The final nail in her political coffin was likely hammered in after Kelley, along with her ally Councilman Leonard Shryock, voted against filling the vacant Council seat left by Marcel Rodarte’s departure. That was August of this year.

Norwalk Vice Mayor Kelley and Councilman Shryock Block Council Appointment Once Again, Set Up Possibility of Lawsuit

Current Mayor Mike Mendez and Councilman Luigi Vernola were incensed at the political maneuver designed by Kelley to hinder votes on certain projects.

The move has placed the City in gridlock ever since.

Vernola told HMG-CN, “It does not make any sense they (Kelley and Shryock) are not making an effort. We either have to appoint or hold a special election, or wait until March 2017. What do they want to do cost the city thousands of dollars? It would cost nothing to appoint a candidate and take the City out of gridlaock.”

One resident who did not want to be identified told HMG-CN, “I am very happy Kelley is not running. She never did anything for the city, and you only saw her when election time rolled around. Her major support was the seniors, but they saw what she did after her slim win in 2013 and the major players have pulled their support. Good riddance, let’s get some new blood on the Council.”

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