‘Roller coaster’ campaign was critical to city

Tariq Malik

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- With election day over and the ballots counted,

some Surf City residents are looking to what the results could mean for

the future of the city.

Of 20 residents seeking three open seats, Councilwoman Pam Julien won

her reelection bid, and newcomers Debbie Cook and Connie Boardman secured

vacant positions left by outgoing councilmen.

The election “was a roller coaster ride, and to wake up and find out

the winners the next day gave me a terrific feeling,” said Bob Biddle, a

planning commissioner and president of Huntington Beach Tomorrow, a City

Council watchdog group that stresses community involvement in local

government. “I think it was a critical campaign election because we will

be losing [Councilmen] Tom Harman and Dave Sullivan.”

Sullivan’s second term runs out this year, and Harman won a seat on

the state Assembly.

Some community activist groups had feared that with those councilmen

leaving, the balance between public representation and city policy could

be lost.

“I see more and more elected officials become insulated from their

community throughout their time in office,” Biddle said. “The longer

they’re in there, the more insulated they become and the further they

rely on their staff.”

Victor Leipzig, a former mayor and councilman and an Independent

columnist, said the election does not represent a turning tide for the

city.

“My personal feeling is of surprise on how little things have changed

on the council,” he said. “Pam Julien retained her seat, and Cook and

Boardman will most likely fill the roles left by the outgoing

councilmen.”

Another surprising development, he added, is that the public chose two

strong environmentalists -- Cook and Boardman -- for the City Council,

while at the same time choosing Julien, who was on the opposite side of

the slate.

That Cook and Boardman are activists, however, does not surprise

Leipzig.

“This city has one the most active citizenries in the county, and

while it may not matter too much on election day, between elections it

means more than in any other community,” he said.

City officials said the city’s more than 113,000 registered voters

exceeds the number in any other city in the county.

Activists say the high turnout stems from a deep public interest in

local government.

“People take notice of the issues here,” Biddle said. “They’re

polarized by them.”