Meet Jonathan Mariande, Candidate For Beverly Hills City Council

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — Jonathan Mariande, 43, is vying to be elected to the Beverly Hills City Council.

In the June 2 election, voters will choose from a list of 11 candidates running for three council seats. Incumbents Lester Friedman and Sharona R. Nazarian are seeking reelection. The seat currently held by Councilman John Mirisch is open, as Mirisch has reached his term limit.

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Among those running is Mariande.

Learn more about Mariande's goals for Beverly Hills:

What is your educational background?

I attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where I studied film and received a bachelor’s degree in film with honors in cinematography and documentary filmmaking. My education also came through years of work in the field, where listening, verification, and problem-solving under pressure are essential.

What is your professional background?

I am a documentary filmmaker, film producer, and freelance photographer for the Los Angeles Times. My work has taken me from Iraq to Antarctica and taught me how to listen carefully, verify facts, build teams, craft story, manage complex projects, and tell the truth clearly under pressure.

Have you ever held public office, whether appointive or elective?

No. I have never held elected or appointed public office. I am a first-time candidate for Beverly Hills City Council, running as a resident, father, and filmmaker who believes City Hall needs structural reform and a stronger resident voice.

What are the top three issues facing Beverly Hills right now?

1. Structural reform. Beverly Hills is a general law city, and residents deserve a serious public review of whether our current system gives us the tools we need for the next generation. I support creating a resident-led Charter Study Commission.

2. Local control and quality of life. We need better planning, stronger public safety coordination, infrastructure readiness, and clearer rules that protect residents while meeting legal obligations.

3. Trust in City Hall. City government should be easier to understand, easier to question, and more accountable. Good governance starts with open process, clear standards, and residents being brought in before major decisions are already made.

How should Beverly Hills approach state housing mandates while addressing concerns about density, neighborhood character, and infrastructure?

Beverly Hills must comply with state housing law. I will not pretend otherwise. But compliance should not mean surrendering thoughtful local planning, neighborhood character, public safety, infrastructure capacity, or the quality of life residents expect.

The city needs a clearer long-term strategy instead of reacting project by project. That means transparent zoning discussions, serious analysis of traffic, schools, utilities, parking, emergency response, and a public process that lets residents understand the tradeoffs before decisions are made.

A Charter Study Commission will not magically override state law, and I will not claim it can. But it can help residents examine whether our current general law structure gives Beverly Hills the strongest possible tools for planning, accountability, and local self-government within the law.

What opportunities and challenges do you see with the Metro D Line extension, and how should the city respond?

The Metro D Line will be one of the biggest changes Beverly Hills has faced in decades. Section 1 is scheduled to open May 8, 2026, subject to final testing and certification, including Wilshire/La Cienega as the gateway to Beverly Hills. Wilshire/Rodeo is scheduled later, in Section 2.

The opportunity is real: better regional access, fewer car trips for some workers and visitors, and new economic energy along Wilshire. The challenges are also real: public safety, station-area cleanliness, traffic, parking, enforcement, pedestrian safety, and impacts on nearby residents and businesses.

The city should prepare now, not after opening day. That means strong coordination with Metro, BHPD, residents, schools, businesses, and property owners. We need clear safety plans, clean and well-managed station areas, better pedestrian infrastructure, and honest monitoring of real-world impacts.

My approach is practical: use the investment, protect residents, and insist that Beverly Hills standards apply wherever the system touches our city.

Why are you a better choice than your opponents?

I am not running because I think City Hall needs better slogans. I am running because Beverly Hills needs a serious structural conversation about how power is organized, how decisions are made, and whether our current system is strong enough for the pressures ahead.

My background is not political machine work. I am a documentary filmmaker, Los Angeles Times freelance photographer, producer, and builder of teams and systems. That experience taught me to ask better questions, listen directly, verify before acting, and focus on the structure beneath the surface.

My central proposal is a resident-led Charter Study Commission: a transparent public process where Beverly Hills can study peer cities, hear from legal and civic experts, include renters, homeowners, business owners, families, seniors, and young residents, and decide what reforms, if any, should go to voters.

I will not overpromise easy fixes. I will push for clearer rules, stronger resident oversight, and a city government built for the next generation.