Council ready to cycle through seats and other thoughts
Let’s catch up on the local scene:
--Jim Winder will begin a one-year term as mayor and Jan Horton as mayor pro-tem Dec. 4, if political or personality clashes don’t disrupt a sensible rotation system for the offices established by the first City Council in 1967.
Winder’s reign will give him more visibility for his 2008 third-term re-election race, and Horton, as 2006’s top vote recipient, is next in line for the mayor’s chair. John Anderson would follow, with Hank Wedaa next, if he wins in 2008.
Last year, in a rare break with the rotation tradition, Horton cast a lone vote against Winder as mayor pro-tem.
--Former Councilwoman Keri Wilson’s Oct. 25 letter to the editor criticizing Anderson prompted me to e-mail her, “Are you in the race for ’08?” Her reply: “With regard to 2008, my campaign committee will remain open.”
Also, Wilson’s letter drew e-mail from Greg Brown countering her comment he has “nothing more than allegations” in claiming improper city conduct in a now-dead Old Town development deal. He reaffirmed the charges “with my right hand on the Bible.”
--Assemblyman Mike Duvall said he was with Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez for the latter’s now well-publicized trip to France, during which he observed Nunez spending campaign funds on wine, a bike and clothes.
“Term limits are important,” Duvall told a Town Hall gathering in Yorba Linda, noting Nunez’s “own actions are killing his initiative” to give lawmakers more time in office.
--Wedaa’s idea to pay Parks and Recreation, Traffic and Library commissioners merits consideration, if they aren’t made city employees to earn health and retirement benefits as council members do for their $560 monthly salary.
Planning Commissioners now earn $60 per meeting (maximum $120 per month), so a modest $50 per meeting stipend for the others would reimburse them for expenses incurred in on-site inspections and other duties.
--The city should benefit from Wedaa’s expertise on environment and transportation issues when Winder makes appointments to five key county boards next month.
Currently, only Horton and Winder hold director seats paying $100 to $170 per meeting on the fire authority, sanitation and vector districts and two toll road boards.
A FINAL NOTE
A 3-2 council vote to renew a two-year, $32,000 Chamber of Commerce pact to provide business, industrial and residential information wrongly limits chamber political activity.
And since the recent downtown redevelopment dispute shows chamber interests don’t always match resident wishes, the chamber should develop alternate funding so the city can drop the subsidy in 2009.
--Jim Winder will begin a one-year term as mayor and Jan Horton as mayor pro-tem Dec. 4, if political or personality clashes don’t disrupt a sensible rotation system for the offices established by the first City Council in 1967.
Winder’s reign will give him more visibility for his 2008 third-term re-election race, and Horton, as 2006’s top vote recipient, is next in line for the mayor’s chair. John Anderson would follow, with Hank Wedaa next, if he wins in 2008.
Last year, in a rare break with the rotation tradition, Horton cast a lone vote against Winder as mayor pro-tem.
--Former Councilwoman Keri Wilson’s Oct. 25 letter to the editor criticizing Anderson prompted me to e-mail her, “Are you in the race for ’08?” Her reply: “With regard to 2008, my campaign committee will remain open.”
Also, Wilson’s letter drew e-mail from Greg Brown countering her comment he has “nothing more than allegations” in claiming improper city conduct in a now-dead Old Town development deal. He reaffirmed the charges “with my right hand on the Bible.”
--Assemblyman Mike Duvall said he was with Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez for the latter’s now well-publicized trip to France, during which he observed Nunez spending campaign funds on wine, a bike and clothes.
“Term limits are important,” Duvall told a Town Hall gathering in Yorba Linda, noting Nunez’s “own actions are killing his initiative” to give lawmakers more time in office.
--Wedaa’s idea to pay Parks and Recreation, Traffic and Library commissioners merits consideration, if they aren’t made city employees to earn health and retirement benefits as council members do for their $560 monthly salary.
Planning Commissioners now earn $60 per meeting (maximum $120 per month), so a modest $50 per meeting stipend for the others would reimburse them for expenses incurred in on-site inspections and other duties.
--The city should benefit from Wedaa’s expertise on environment and transportation issues when Winder makes appointments to five key county boards next month.
Currently, only Horton and Winder hold director seats paying $100 to $170 per meeting on the fire authority, sanitation and vector districts and two toll road boards.
A FINAL NOTE
A 3-2 council vote to renew a two-year, $32,000 Chamber of Commerce pact to provide business, industrial and residential information wrongly limits chamber political activity.
And since the recent downtown redevelopment dispute shows chamber interests don’t always match resident wishes, the chamber should develop alternate funding so the city can drop the subsidy in 2009.
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 PM
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