On both sides of the campaign fence

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- Three open City Council seats -- just enough to

potentially tip the balance on the five-person council -- are in the air

until the election Tuesday.

Joe Erickson is retiring after 13 years on the council, guaranteeing

that at least one of the nine challengers will be elected.

Candidates are saying that voters must decide between giving the

council a brand-new outlook or preserving the status quo.

Some candidates have campaigned hard to distinguish themselves from

the current council members, even condemning some of the council’s

previous decisions. Other candidates have supported the council’s

decisions.

“I may have some concerns about some of the issues, but I believe the

current City Council is very good and has the best interest of the city

in mind,” said candidate Tom Sutro. “A lot of candidates don’t realize

there are a lot of things council members can’t change, for example,

because of state and federal laws, so we need to move on from those.”

Candidates William Perkins and Dan Worthington have also been largely

supportive of the council, although they don’t agree with every decision

that’s been made.

Joel Faris, another candidate, said he respects the council for

listening to residents and treating everyone equally, but added that he

would “base decisions more on what residents say” and be more proactive

in getting to know the constituents.

Councilwomen Libby Cowan and Heather Somers, both running for

reelection, said they think the campaigns have been civil, even when

challengers have attacked their positions.

However, Cowan said several anonymous “hit pieces” have shown there is

an undercurrent of confrontation.

Somers said she has “taken exception to” some comments, including the

accusation that the council does not listen to residents.

For instance, candidates Rick Rodgers and Michael Clifford said they

don’t believe the council weighs public input as heavily as it should.

Candidate Karen Robinson said she would improve communication between the

council and the residents.

Cowan and Somers countered that the council has been very receptive to

public comment.

“I think sometimes the idea that we don’t listen is misconceived when

we don’t base our decision on what is discussed that night, because

individuals don’t know that we’ve been discussing an issue sometimes for

more than a year,” Somers said.

Another candidate, Chris Steel, said the council created policies that

welcome illegal immigrants and that the city should require legal

residency screening.

Neither incumbent responded to Steel’s comments.

Ron Channels has criticized the city budget, saying that salary

spending must be stabilized. According to an financial report dated June

30, 1999, city expenditures exceeded revenues in nine of the last 10

years.

“In a business, if you spend more than you make nine out of 10 years,

you’re having problems,” Channels said.

Channels accused the city of pushing projects, such as widening 17th

Street, that residents don’t want, because they add revenue to help it

meet the skyrocketing payroll.

However, city officials said revenues have actually exceeded

expenditures for the last seven years.

The 1999 financial report was based on expected revenues, not actual

revenues, which were high enough to more than cover the city’s expenses,

said Marc Pucket, Costa Mesa’s finance director.

Channels disagreed with the explanations.

“They have one report that says one thing and another one that says

something else,” he said. “Obviously something is wrong.”