New year promises wild political ride

It's not a stretch to predict 2014 will be a year of local political turmoil because verbal sniping has continued unabated since the last City Council election, when voters – bombarded by union and business-financed ads and mailers – made key changes in this city's governing body.

One of the few unresolved questions is whether or not campaign spending in this year's election will match or exceed the city's record high for a council contest achieved in the 2012 race: a total of $261,599 spent by or on behalf of the top contenders.

Two of three candidates endorsed by 2012's biggest single spender – the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs at $78,839 – lost (Ken Peterson and Nancy Rikel), while two candidates with business group support (Gene Hernandez and Craig Young) won. Incumbent Mark Schwing was the lone union-supported winner.

This year's contest is for seats now held by John Anderson and Tom Lindsey, with the latter already an announced candidate for a second term. Experienced candidates know an early start is critical for fund-raising, so expect to see others emerge before filing opens mid-July.

Complicating Lindsey's run is a potential recall, as Lindsey and Young became the sixth and seventh of 32 council members to be served with “intent to recall” papers. Activists in past recall efforts have told me that even if they didn't gather enough signatures to put the recall on the ballot, they at least “dirtied up” their targets with negative publicity.

Also a factor in this year's election will be the city's longest-active political action committee, Yorba Linda Residents for Responsible Representation, with followers already pouncing on Hernandez, Lindsey and Young as “developer-friendly high-density advocates.”

Although some early leaders left YLRRR in disagreements over policy and endorsements, the organization, which now raises funds from garage sales and loans from members, has a record of 8 wins and 3 losses, but backing for three of the winners was later withdrawn.

Winners were Anderson and Jan Horton in 2006, Hank Wedaa on a 2007 ballot, Schwing and Rikel in 2008, Anderson and Lindsey in 2010 and Schwing in 2012. Losing were Ed Rakochy in 2008 and Peterson and Rikel in 2012. YLRRR later soured on Horton, Wedaa and Lindsey.

Interestingly, one key issue in the coming campaign will be a matter that has confronted this city's councils since their first meetings in the 1960s: individual property rights versus restrictive zoning and other policies that mandate low housing densities, with self-described conservatives lining up on each side.

Also on tap is the June primary for a state Assembly seat, with two contenders advancing to a November run-off. Young is one of three GOP candidates, and some of his council opponents hope he'll become one of 80 Assembly votes instead of remaining one of five council votes.