Mission Viejo’s Curtis Won’t Run for New Term : City Council: He beat a costly recall effort in 1989. The former mayor won’t rule out a bid for higher office.

In a stunning turn of events, Councilman Robert A. Curtis, who survived one of the most expensive recall efforts in recent memory, announced Wednesday that he will not seek reelection.

After serving five years as a councilman and mayor, Curtis said he now plans to devote his energies to his family and his career.

“I’ve had the courage to make a difference in this city, and I have stood out because I have been willing to stand up for my principles,” Curtis said. “Now I need to make sure my family is taken care of.”

However, Curtis said he would not rule out a bid for higher office in the future although he declined to be more specific.

“I’ll always be interested as long as it doesn’t require me to mill about on a local level,” he said.

In 1989, the Mission Viejo Co. and other development interests pumped almost $500,000 into a campaign to unseat Curtis--an amount that raised eyebrows across the state. Despite being outspent more than 12 to 1, Curtis overwhelmingly weathered the recall election when he was supported by 70% of the voters.

Curtis described the David vs. Goliath victory as “unquestionably the highlight of my small-town political career.”

“It was definitely a win for the small guy and local government,” he said. “It was extremely healthy for the political process.”

But in June, the councilman suffered his biggest political defeat at the polls when voters rejected an $18-million city hall project that he had championed by a 3-1 margin.

And just as anti-recall sentiment had helped to elect Curtis-backed Councilman Robert D. Breton and Mayor Sharon Cody in 1990, his opponents were anticipating anti-City Hall sentiment to lead to his defeat in November.

“While I believe he has other reasons for not running, the political reality is that I don’t think he could be reelected.” said Gary Manley, a current council candidate and Curtis opponent.

Curtis however, disagreed that opposition to the city hall project would have led to his defeat.

“Opposition to the project doesn’t translate to voter preference for Mr. Manley,” Curtis said.

However, Curtis received bad news last month when Cody, his former ally, told him that she would not back him for reelection.

His dropping out of the race takes much of the wind out of a campaign that was expected to be hotly contested.

“There’s no doubt that this will change the complexion of the campaign,” Manley said.

Curtis’ tenure on the council was often marked with barbed exchanges between fellow council members and the audience.

The councilman was also the subject of controversy in 1990 when his campaign finance statements revealed that he had received more than $20,000 in contributions from the same developers who gave money to the recall campaign. Some of the money was reportedly raised through phone calls made on Curtis’ behalf by the Mission Viejo Co.

But Curtis said his alliance with his onetime foe helped pave the way to a development agreement with the Mission Viejo Co., the developer of the planned community--one that brought the city millions of dollars in land concessions.

As part of the pact, the company agreed to donate a 20-acre parcel of land worth about $6 million to the city. The agreement also called for the company to build fewer housing units.

Curtis considers the agreement as one of his greatest achievements as a councilman.

“That will have a positive impact on the community long after I’m gone,” he said. “I will always be proud of my contributions to the city.”