Laguan Beach : Remap of Political Boundaries Sought

Urged on by South Laguna residents who feel “disenfranchised” by proposed reapportionment maps that split Laguna Beach into two political districts, city officials will ask that the new boundaries be redrawn.

“It is unbelievable that this has occurred,” said Johanna Felder, president of Village Laguna, the city’s largest political organization. “Laguna Beach, including South Laguna, is one city and should be represented by one congressman.”

The issue of how the proposed maps would affect Laguna Beach was brought to the City Council’s attention last month by Frank N. Ricchiazzi, past president of Laguna Beach Republicans.

Ricchiazzi said the new map would sever South Laguna politically from the remainder of the city by redefining boundaries for congressional, state Senate and Assembly districts.

At that time, council members declined to take action, saying the city could reap political gains by having more than one representative.

However, on Tuesday, South Laguna residents who had by then gotten wind of the proposed change appealed to the City Council to take action.

Kathleen Blackburn, a South Laguna resident and chairwoman of the city’s Planning Commission, said she felt “disenfranchised, somehow, and cut off” when she learned of the change. “I think it’s very important that we fall under the same umbrella,” she said.

In response, the council unanimously agreed to ask the state Supreme Court to redefine the boundaries so that all Laguna Beach residents will have the same political representatives.

However, comments regarding the proposed boundaries were supposed to be submitted by Dec. 16 to ensure their consideration before the court’s reapportionment hearing on Monday, according to Karen Ringuette, a spokeswoman for the Administrative Office of the Courts in San Francisco.

Ringuette could not say whether it will still be possible for a request by Laguna Beach to be considered. “At this moment, nothing’s final,” she said. The Supreme Court is expected to make its decision regarding the maps by Jan. 28, she said.

Resident Barbara Manalis said South Laguna residents worked for more than 10 years for the 1987 annexation to Laguna Beach and do not want to be politically separated from the rest of the city. “It would be, once again, tossing us out,” she said.