Most City Incumbents in O.C. Retain Posts

With the notable exception of Westminster, where voters apparently ousted Tony Lam, the nation’s first Vietnamese American elected to office, most incumbent city council members and mayors across Orange County kept their seats in Tuesday’s election.

And among voters deciding ballot initiatives, Irvine residents overwhelmingly rejected the proposal for a commercial airport at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station when it closes next year, while those in Yorba Linda defeated a measure that would have blocked plans to widen Imperial Highway.

Despite raising more money than his seven rivals combined, Councilman Lam was trailing 33-year-old attorney Kermit Marsh, who said he ran his campaign on a “shoestring.”

Marsh said he didn’t expect to win and was merely building name recognition for a later try. He went to bed Tuesday thinking he had lost, but he awoke Wednesday morning to learn that he led Lam by 67 votes. With absentee ballots pending, Marsh wasn’t quite ready to celebrate.

“Apparently I did better than I thought, but I still don’t know if that’s enough,” he said. “I’m not going to count the chickens before they’re hatched.”

Lam, who has served six years on the council, could not be reached for comment.

In Brea, two council challengers advocated term limits, then took out a pair of two-term incumbents. Steven Vargas and Roy Moore ousted council members Burnie Dunlap and Glenn G. Parker.

In Laguna Beach, environmental activist Toni Iseman edged incumbent Wayne Baglin for the third and final council seat up for grabs, but only by about 150 votes. Ironically, the two share pro-environment viewpoints on issues including the Treasure Island development.

“There were many times Wayne Baglin was a hero. He will be missed,” Iseman said. “But I am carrying with me the optimism my vote will resonate with the other council members.”

Mayor Steve Dicterow and Councilman Paul Freeman were reelected.

Baglin, who previously served on the council from 1978-81, said he won’t seek a recount but will continue his crusade against water pollution.

Orange Mayor Joanne Coontz appeared to slide into her third term by less than 800 votes, but her challenger, Councilman Michael Alvarez, said he will wait for the absentee tally and may ask for a recount before conceding defeat.

Coontz said the results show people are generally happy with the stability of the city. But Alvarez and returning Councilman Dan Slater said the small margin indicates voters are unhappy with the firing of Police Chief John R. Robertson during his investigation of a trash-fund embezzlement scandal. Coontz and Councilman Mark A. Murphy, who also won reelection, voted to fire Robertson, saying he lost their trust during the investigation.

In one of Tuesday’s upsets, Laguna Niguel voters sent incumbent Eddie Rose packing, and voted Planning Commissioner Cathryn DeYoung and Parks and Recreation Commissioner Joe Brown onto the City Council.

“It’s a sad day for the people of Laguna Niguel,” said Rose, often the lone dissenting vote on the council. “They have no voice. They have five rubber stamps.”

And in Dana Point, returning incumbent Harold Kaufman said he hopes the election of two new City Council members will end that body’s reputation for bickering.

“We’ll be able to honestly debate the issues without fear of personal attacks and personality clashes,” he said.

Joining Kaufman will be activist and former Councilwoman Ingrid McGuire, who favors the city’s development plans for the Dana Point Headlands; and Wayne Rayfield, an El Toro airport opponent who will most likely seek a compromise with the Headlands developer.

Three candidates with varying development viewpoints will join the San Clemente City Council. Veterinarian and former Mayor Scott Diehl says he favors balanced development. Planning Commissioner Susan E. Ritschel advocates revitalizing old business districts and preserving city beaches. And G. Wayne Eggleston, executive director of the city’s Heritage Foundation, favors minimal development and maximum preservation.

In Villa Park, Councilman Bob Bell called his reelection to a third term “kind of a paradox,” given that voters at the same time narrowly approved term limits. Bell said he believes voters appreciate his careful watch of city spending and dedication to preserving the Villa Park lifestyle.

Los Alamitos voters also approved term limits by a 3-to-1 ratio yet elected Councilwoman Alice Jempsa to her fourth term. But three-term incumbent Robert P. Wahlstrom lost to real estate broker Arthur DeBolt.

Said Wahlstrom: “We had four good candidates and only three could win.”

For the first time, two women will serve on the Anaheim City Council with the election of newcomer Lucille Kring, 55, only the third woman to win a seat. She will join Councilwoman Shirley McCracken, elected in 1996.

In Yorba Linda, voters reelected incumbents Gene Wisner and John M. Gullixson and defeated a ballot measure that officials said would cost the city millions in transportation dollars. Measure J would have blocked plans to widen Imperial Highway from two to four lanes in the city and up to six lanes elsewhere, and would have forced the city to repay county transportation funds scheduled for the project.

On another ballot measure, Irvine voters said they would prefer a sports and entertainment complex and school campus, not a commercial airport, at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. About 80% of voters--more than 22,000--supported Measure D, an advisory referendum calling for a non-aviation base conversion. The issue helped to reelect Greg Smith and to elect Larry Agran to the City Council.

In Cypress, voters indicated that they don’t want to resurrect the city’s Planning Commission, eliminated in 1978. Measure B failed--it would have authorized the City Council to delegate planning powers. But Measure C passed, so the City Council must get voter approval before creating a planning commission.

A ballot measure in Westminster to repeal the city’s fireworks ban failed, while a measure to keep the current business license tax passed.

And Anaheim voters overwhelmingly approved a measure that will allow a neutral third party to be called in to resolve contract disputes between firefighters and the city.

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Times correspondents Debra Cano, Christine Castro, Chris Ceballos, Linn Groves, Jason Kandel, James Meier, Harrison Sheppard and Lesley Wright contributed to this report.