EDITORIAL

It would be a shame if Newport Beach’s New Year’s resolution was to

lose weight because on Jan. 1 the city got fatter by about 7,000 people.

But in this case, that extra girth is a welcome find (not a surprise,

certainly, given the years it’s been in the making).

For residents of Newport Coast, their annexation into Newport Beach

comes with a number of obvious perks. They’ll enjoy $18 million in tax

relief, get a community center and have more responsive service from

police and fire departments than the county provided.

For the city, the annexation, which faced a few hurdles last fall from

skeptical residents, comes near to fully fleshing Newport Beach out. The

area had long been part of the city’s “sphere of influence,” and now is

where state officials thought it should be, all while bringing the city

somewhere in the neighborhood of an additional $300,000 a year in

revenue.

The annexation should also bring a stronger sense of unity to the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District, which was operating schools in the

unincorporated community. It may be only cosmetic, but now it’s back to

Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, a more obviously unified district.

Of course the annexation will bring challenges for residents, the city

and the school district. But a city as strong as Newport Beach should be

able to rise to answer any problem.

So, to Newport Coast residents, especially those who might not have

come completely willingly, we say: Welcome to town, officially. We think

you’ll like it.

Now if only Santa Ana Heights and Bay Knolls can follow along soon.