Costa Mesa Council hopefuls share civic priorities, views on housing, safety and more
In the absence of a nonpartisan forum for six candidates vying for three seats on the Costa Mesa City Council, including mayor, contenders shared their thoughts on civic issues in a Q&A discussion with the Daily Pilot.
Candidates were asked to weigh in on issues ranging from homelessness and housing to crime and safety and to give readers a glimpse at what their priorities would be if elected to office on Nov. 5.
Voters will select the city’s next mayor, a two-year term, deciding between incumbent and business attorney John Stephens and challenger James Peters, a licensed financial planner and small business owner.
In Council District 1, which includes the Mesa Verde and State Streets neighborhoods, Planning Commissioner and environmental consultant Adam Ereth is running against business litigation attorney Mike Buley to replace outgoing Councilman Don Harper.
District 6, representing Costa Mesa’s east side, features a contest between Mayor Pro Tem Jeffrey Harlan, a land use attorney and former planning commissioner, and Jeff Pettis, who works for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Councilman Loren Gameros, who serves Council District 2, is unopposed.
A safe place to live?
Asked about whether the city is a safe place to live, responses were roughly divided between incumbent candidates — who highlighted numerous investments in police and fire department facilities, programs and budgets as well as street improvements — and challengers, who maintained many residents don’t feel as protected from crime as they should.
Stephens and Harlan pointed out that overall incidents of crime decreased 13% compared to 2023, according to Costa Mesa Police Department statistics, and cited recent efforts to increase public safety staffing levels and fund upgrades at Fire Stations 2 and 4.
“The council provides our first responders with the funding, technology, equipment and facilities they need to keep us safe,” Stephens, 61, said by email. “Police and fire departments are 53% of our city budget, demonstrating the council’s commitment to public safety.”
Peters and Buley, however, said the city has become less safe in recent years, a fact they attribute to a rise in homelessness and a soft-on-crime stance among city leaders.
“I personally do not feel safe going for a run or walk at night in almost any part of the city,” wrote Peters, 54. “We need to have increased police presence in high crime areas of the city and get more police on the streets.”
Pettis, also 54, said while he feels relatively safe, he is advocating for Proposition 36, a statewide ballot initiative to edit a 2014 state law that softened penalties for non-violent offenders, and would prioritize police funding if elected.
Ereth, 40, agreed with Harlan and Stephens about the city’s investment in public safety, but acknowledged neighbors in his district have expressed safety concerns involving unhoused individuals.
“Many need medical attention, shelter, food, rehabilitation and a chance to reform and get back on their feet,” he wrote. “These are legitimate concerns. Luckily, we have programs that address the issue.”
Although city officials have supported initiatives aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness — including a 2021 shelter opening, backing the conversion of underused motels into permanent supportive housing and transitioning nearly 400 citizens to permanent living situations — Costa Mesa’s homeless population has increased, from 193 in 2019 to 208 in 2022 to 297 this year, according to the county’s Point in Time count.
Buley, 58, said the city’s efforts have helped to some degree, but said the city should go back to enacting and enforcing anti-encampment laws, a move recently upheld by a Supreme Court ruling and backed by mayoral candidate Peters as well.
“The focus has been more on building beds at exorbitant prices and less on helping those individuals struggling the most with mental disabilities and substance abuse addictions,” he wrote. “That can be a valuable tool to direct those individuals who are unable or unwilling to get the help they need into the care facilities and case worker services.”
Shortage of homes, high rents
On the other end of the housing issue, candidates were asked how city leaders should approach providing and maintaining housing for Costa Mesa residents amid a statewide shortage and record high rents.
Stepens said he’d like to see unproductive commercial sites repurposed into housing and mixed-use development projects. Such a strategy will become more feasible once the city undergoes a comprehensive rezoning process, part of citizen-backed Measure K, a project strongly supported by Harlan.
“This will help incentivize new housing opportunities — including workforce housing for teachers, nurses, young professionals and families — which will be located close to transit and employment centers and also protect traditional residential neighborhoods,” Harlan, 53, wrote.
The two council members lauded the recent passing of an affordable housing ordinance requiring developers building 50 or more units to set aside a percentage for low- and very low-income tenants.
Ereth said he would prioritize providing opportunities for the “missing middle,” referring to ownership options in between single-family residence and dense multifamily projects, such as condominiums, townhomes and starter homes.
Peters and Buley maintained that new development should not compromise the character of Costa Mesa’s neighborhoods. But Pettis took a different tack, saying he’d focus on market-driven solutions such as reducing barriers to development while incentivizing building through tax breaks or density bonuses.
“We need to streamline regulations and simplify the permitting process to make it easier and more affordable for developers to build new housing,” Pettis said. “By cutting red tape and reducing delays we can lower costs and encourage more investment in the housing market.”
Councilman Loren Gameros, who represents the city’s Council District 2, is unopposed and was not included in this discussion among candidates for contested seats. All seven candidate’s’ statements can be found online at the O.C. Registrar of Voters at ocvote.gov/candidates/candidate-filing-log-with-statements.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.
