Loella Haskew Pursues City Council Seat

Correction: Aug. 1, 2012. Due to an editor's error, the original version of this article cited the wrong committee that Loella Haskew was treasurer for. This version is corrected to name the correct committee: Yes for Walnut Creek.

A fourth candidate has emerged for three four-year seats open on the Walnut Creek City Council.

Loella Haskew, 66, of Dantley Way, is a retiring Certified Public Accountant in downtown Walnut Creek. She took out nomination papers earlier this week from the city clerk's office.

"I respect the values of the people of Walnut Creek and feel that I can reflect them on the City Council," said Haskew in a phone interview Tuesday. "It's going to be a tough couple of years and hopefully we can get out of the economic recession."

Incumbent Gary Skrel has said he is undecided about running again. The nomination period ends Aug. 10, or Aug. 15 if it turns out an incumbent fails to file by Aug. 10.

Haskew served on the Community Blue Ribbon Task Force on Fiscal Health that last winter recommended structural changes in Walnut Creek's budget.

In that experience, Haskew said, "I learned about how the finances go together, learned what we've asked staff to do already … I'm sensitive to the city's financial situation."

As a CPA, Haskew said, she has advised businesses about their finances and can bring that perspective to city government.

Haskew has also been.

Also, Haskew said, she serves on three nonprofit boards:

• Cancer Support Community Board, which "helps people and their families travel through the life journey of dealing with that disease and all the attendant psycho-social issues at no charge to the people using the services."
• Kennedy-King Memorial Scholarship Board, which "raises funds to assist qualified minority students with significant scholarship funds toward their college educations," and
• Diablo Regional Arts Association Board.

Haskew is married to Ralph Haskew, also a CPA. They have an adult son, Steven Dotterer, who is in the Army; he is married to Joelyn. They also have two grandchildren, Makila and Alan.