Costa Mesa council votes certified

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- The City Council vote count officially ended Tuesday,

but Councilwoman Heather Somers -- certified as the first runner-up in

the three-seat race -- said the results of the November election are

still controversial.

The final tally has Somers trailing Karen Robinson by 32 votes -- the

two candidates had been neck and neck since Nov. 7 when the Orange County

Registrar’s office first reported the vote counts.

“I’m not going to ask for a recount at this moment, but there are

still some questions about some individual precincts,” Somers said.

“There are some really strange voter irregularities about voters marking

ballots with Crayons and things like that. I might call into question

some individual precincts without calling for an entire recount. Between

the questions about the balloting process and the validity of [Chris

Steel’s candidacy], I’m still pretty ambivalent. There’s too much up in

the air to make a definitive statement.”

The council members-elect, according to the county Registrar of

Voter’s office certification, are Steel, with 10,664 votes; incumbent

Libby Cowan, with 10,276 votes; and Karen Robinson, with 9,224 votes.

Somers received 9,192 votes. A total of 73,889 votes were counted in

Costa Mesa.

“I will be swearing in [Steel, Cowan and Robinson] on Monday, barring

some act of God or something,” said Mayor Gary Monahan. “They’ve got a

lot of studying to do by Monday, but they will be fine. Contrary to some

of the concerns out there, the city will survive. The sky is not

falling.”

Robinson, who was a first-time council candidate, said she is glad to

have finality.

“I’m thrilled,” she said. “Now that we know what the full composition

of the City Council is going to be for the next four years, I’m very

happy that I’ve won and I’m looking forward to working to preserve and

enhance the quality of life in Costa Mesa that I’ve come to love. It

certainly was a hard-fought campaign by all 11 candidates and my hat goes

off to every candidate who was unsuccessful. I hope they will continue to

be active in community affairs so we can achieve the best for Costa

Mesa.”

Cowan said she is also excited to continue her service to Costa Mesa

resident and pleased the election is over.

The close race between Robinson and Somers for the third council seat

was not the only unusual part of this year’s election.

The city attorney’s office on Tuesday concluded an investigation into

a resident’s allegation that Steel filed invalid nomination documentation

and should not have been in the running for a council seat.

Costa Mesa resident Michael Szkaradek, who had previously run against

Steel in a 1986 City Council election, claimed that one of the signatures

on Steel’s nominating petition was forged and that the councilman-elect

should be barred from taking office.

Steel has denied any wrongdoing. The Registrar’s office validated

Steel’s nomination petition.

Based on the investigation, City Atty. Jerry Scheer released a

recommendation Tuesday that the council swear in Steel with Cowan and

Robinson.

“There is no legally required action for the council to take regarding

the Szkaradek charges concerning council member-elect Steel,” Scheer

stated in the recommendation. “Outside counsel advises that a voter may

file an election contest in Superior Court.”

Szkaradek said he does not plan to file a contest at this time.

Steel said the ordeal was “much ado about nothing.”

“The [allegations] were so shocking and unbelievable, I even stayed

here all week instead of going away for Thanksgiving as I planned,” he

said. “I’m looking forward to moving on so I can serve on the council and

address the real issues. I think we’ll be able to work together well. We

have our differences, but that’s OK. With [Cowan] on the far left and me

on the far right, it will be interesting. I think it’s good to have a

diversity of opinions on the council so everyone is represented. We’ll

see who prevails.”