Meet the City Council Candidates

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Kofi

The Malibu Times sent a questionnaire to all 10 Malibu City Council candidates. They were all given the same time frame to respond and were limited to 75 words per answer. Two profiles will be printed, in alphabetical order, each week beginning this issue until the April 1 issue. Election Day is April 13. The full list of candidates profiles will be viewable online at www.malibutimes.com, under the tab, “Election News,” beginning April 1.

Name: Kofi

Age: 41

How long have you lived in Malibu?

I have lived in the beautiful city of Malibu for 20 years.

What is your education and employment history?

I am a record producer.

Why are you running for city council?

I am committed to the quality of life and greater well-being of all residents. I want to invigorate the youth of Malibu and get them involved in serving their community. In the country of Bhutan, the government measures its success by the “Gross National Happiness” of its people. I plan to adopt Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness index for Malibu where the success of the city council will be measured by the happiness of all residents.

What makes you qualified to be on city council?

Most of the people who live in Malibu work in the entertainment industry and I know many of them on a personal level. They feel the city council does not represent them and they prefer not to have anything to do with local politics. I am a true representative of the people and will bridge this gap. We need everybody to participate. I will bring a fresh, new personality to the city council.

What, in your opinion, are the three most important issues facing the city at this time?

The safety and well-being of every resident is of the utmost importance to me. We must protect the natural beauty and environmental qualities of our city for both residents and visitors. We must improve education in our schools and develop more ways to engage our youth in the community. Finally, we must protect and promote the prosperity and success of Malibu’s locally owned small businesses.

Have you been involved with any organizations, homeowners associations, city committees or other community groups? If so, how are/were you involved and for how long?

I am the founder of a community group called the Oneness Village. For the past 20 years, I have gone to Malibu’s Country Mart at Cross Creek and spent three to four hours of my time everyday dedicated to adding value to young individuals who seek to reach their greater selves.

What experiences have you had dealing with budgets? With legislation?

My experience with budgets began 20 years ago while producing my first album with producer David Foster. I created a successful track record of being very competent. This led to me producing and controlling the budget for the 1999 opening ceremony of the Super Bowl with Cher singing the National Anthem. I have worked with many artists that have multimillion-dollar recording deals and I had to deal with their budgets.

How many people are in your immediate family, regardless of whether they live at home? Feel free to mention their names and ages.

I have six siblings. They are comprised of three younger brothers, one younger sister and two older sisters. Having lived in Africa, I was literally raised by a village. Hence the phrase, “It takes a village to raise a child.”