‘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.”
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