Defeat did nothing to diminish Jeff Cooper’s desire to serve the people of Culver City.

Soon after a failed attempt to land a seat on the Culver City City Council during the 2008 election, the 51-year-old mortgage banker and former Parks and Recreation commissioner immediately began formulating plans for another run two years later.

That time is upon us, as Cooper and three additional candidates — fellow newcomers Meghan Sahli-Wells and Robert Zirgulis, and incumbent Scott Malsin — enter the closing stretch of campaign season, each seeking one of the two council seats up for grabs in the April 13 general election.

“There was never any doubt after last time that I would run again,” said Cooper on Tuesday, March 9 during a 45-minute interview with the News centered on his candidacy and many of the hot-button topics that have come to the forefront during this election season. “The next day I got back to what I always do, and that’s participating in the city that I care about.”

From those seeds of setback emerged a willingness by Cooper to make an immediate mark this time on the campaign trail, leaving nothing to chance after a late decision to enter the 2008 race. He became the first candidate to announce a council run late last year, wasted no time submitting his official paperwork in January, and immediately got down to the task at hand of formulating a campaign strategy that he hopes will resonate with voters when the polls open a little more than one month from now.

“I was able to really plan out our campaign a lot more with our staff,” said Cooper, who has picked up endorsements from the likes of the Culver City Firefighters Association, the Culver City Police Department Association, the Culver City Chamber of Commerce and numerous local current and former officeholders. “We had the luxury of planning out our timeframe a lot more. … Last time, it was just rapid-fire decisions.”

That plan, as espoused during this week’s interview, centers on transparency — from how the council conducts business, to the future of development throughout Culver City, to openly admitting that, on some topics, he doesn’t have all the answers.

Back to that last item a little later. First, a look at one of the topics sure to be at the mental forefront of many Culver City voters as they decide the makeup of the next council — the city budget.

One of the themes on Cooper’s campaign Web site and in the various literature he’s employed on the campaign trail has been bringing greater accountability to City Hall, while expanding the city’s economic base and high standard of living.

So how exactly does a councilman make that happen given the recession that’s not only gripped Culver City, but the nation as a whole?

“I can’t speak for the nation,” Cooper said with a chuckle, before offering a two-pronged approach for his hometown.

“First we need a zero-based budget. Go line item by line item and prioritize from what we feel is the most important to the least important. … Nobody is absolved. Everything is going to be prioritized and looked at. That’s No. 1.”

Asked whether that includes two areas that many Culver City residents consider sacred cows — the Culver City Police Department and the Culver City Fire Department — Cooper emphasized that, should he be elected, he will do whatever he can to keep the public service elements of both away from the chopping block.

“They need to remain second to none,” Cooper said. “We cannot compromise on public safety. If I have my way there will be no layoffs. There will be no contracting out of services for those entities. As far as services, there is no way those things are going to be compromised. They’re not going to be touched.”

Moving on to the second part of Cooper’s solution for getting a grasp on the city’s budget woes, he’s an avid supporter of bringing in an independent, outside auditor to take a look at things and find ways to help the council and city staff balance the books.

“So we can get a true look at what’s happening with the budget,” Cooper said. “That’s the kind of accountability I’m looking for — making sure things are being streamlined.”

Asked specifically about city programs he feels need to be put under the microscope, Cooper admitted he does not have the knowledge at this juncture to offer any concrete opinions.

“I think being on the outside, I don’t feel comfortable saying which ones should be (considered) until I’m there to look at the budget, to have a true perspective,” Cooper said. “I feel I need to have more information before I can comment on that.”

One area where Cooper does have intimate knowledge, however, is the annual “Cruisin’ Back to the 50s Culver City Car Show.” He serves as the producer of the show, which each year receives in-kind services from the city in  areas such as police services, public works and sanitation. Last year, the city provided $12,000 in such services.

Should he land a seat on the council, Cooper knows he will have to recuse himself from any discussion and decisions involving the show, including whether it should remain an event that receives city funding in these cash-strapped times.

However, he had no problem with discussing it as part of his candidacy and offering his belief that, even if there is no iron-clad economic feedback about what the event brings into the city coffers, it passes the eye test as a successful community endeavor.

“Most people think, how much money does the car show bring? That’s pretty minor,” said Cooper, pointing instead to the crowds he witnesses walking downtown streets and the scholarship money created for the Exchange Club, the event’s sponsor, to pour right back into the city.

“(People) are not only strolling the streets of downtown Culver City, they’re patronizing the businesses that are down there. Those are the things that make me most proud. … The car show is the largest single-day event in the city on the streets.”

Moving on to the topic of development within the city, Cooper continued to hammer away at the transparency theme, insisting that no matter how the city decides to proceed, all interested parties — developers, city staff, council and, just as important, residents — be kept in the loop.

“I think when developers do come back to the city, we’ve got to really maintain reaching out to the public on the front end,” Cooper said. “I think the city’s learning that it becomes a really costly thing not reaching out to the public on the front end. Just having great outreach to the public, and just having development that’s really compatible to our neighborhoods.”

In other words, not having development just for the sake of development. And when it comes to the lack of movement on certain high-profile properties throughout the city — namely the “Parcel B” tract in downtown Culver City and the undeveloped lots at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Centinela Avenue on the western edge of town — Cooper believes the best thing the city can do is make sure it knows exactly what it is looking for in those locations once the economic crunch lessens and the developers come calling.

“It’s having a plan and being ready,” Cooper said. “If we’re prepared for it we can move forward on whatever project is acceptable by our city government and our community. … I think by having that framework, it just gives you a little bit more of a heads up.”

OK, so a working idea for the budget and development take care of two of the elephants in the room. The third, undoubtedly, is the issue of oil drilling within city limits.

With the city currently embroiled in litigation against Plains Exploration and Production — generally known as PXP — there are the diverging viewpoints of those in favor of the city’s moratorium on oil drilling, and residents who are upset at the loss of royalties should such drilling be allowed to continue.

“I understand their concerns,” said Cooper about the second group. “But my responsibility as a councilman is to represent all of Culver City. Any hint, whether it be remote or obvious in concerns to somebody’s health, is my concern. My responsibility is to look out for Culver City, and that includes its citizens.

“All the city is asking for is a more comprehensive EIR (environmental impact report) to be done, one that’s independent. There are plenty of oil rigs … I’m not looking to exponentially increase them. That’s why I’ve always kind of supported the city’s fight in standing up to PXP.”

Of course, what Cooper stands for or believes in — whether it’s budgets or police services or oil drilling — is only part of the equation. Campaign season is an easy time for prospective council members to stump for change and make promises about what they will bring to City Hall once they are elected.

The hard work comes in achieving consensus, with even the most well-received ideas falling into the junk pile unless consensus can be reached. Cooper insists he is cognizant of that and ready to work with whomever would fill the remaining four seats on the council.

“I don’t think I make any promises,” Cooper said. “I just think I’m going to work hard with my fellow council members. We all have the best intent. … I think if we work hard, we can come up with some consensus among ourselves. I think that’s part of being successful in politics, not just having consensus, but being able to compromise.

“I think it’s a responsibility of a council member to keep your mind open and not take such a narrow view. That’s something I’ve learned in 10 years as a Parks and Recreation commissioner. They (the public) deserve to at least have (their ideas) taken into consideration. I’m there to represent everybody.”