Retired City Councilman Scott Malsin filed his candidacy papers with the City Clerk this morning, and soon thereafter he officially announced his candidacy in the April 2012 Culver City Council campaign.

Here's what Malsin had to say:

"Throughout the last several weeks, I have spoken to hundreds of community members about Culver City's future. People are worried, and for good reason.

"Our community is facing enormous challenges, all the more so in the wake of the demise of our Redevelopment Agency. What will this mean for our schools, for building projects such as Parcel B in downtown Culver City, and for our city's much-envied cultural affairs programming? With continued state and national budget uncertainty, we need to focus on our city's financial health with laser-like intensity.

"When I say to you I can help us overcome these issues, you know you can count on it. I've been doing the type of work necessary to overcome challenges such as these for the past six years. I understand the tools the city has, I understand how to use them, and because of my experience I will 'hit the ground running.'

"I have been dedicated to serving Culver City for 20 years. I retired in December 2011 to protect the health care coverage the city offered to my wife and daughter. Now I can get back to work. The unique skills and knowledge I bring to the table are what Culver City needs most now."