Sounding Off

Tom Livengood

Voters need to take a hard look at an initiative titled “Fair

Apportionment and Individual Representation” that will reduce a

volunteer, nominally paid council from seven to five. This does not

accomplish the initiative’s stated purpose.

Having served on two Charter Revision Committees, chair of one,

co-chair of the second, council districts were one of the main issues

studied and submitted to the voters. As I recall, the city’s population

was around 100,000. The issue was defeated.

There is nothing wrong with looking at districts again since the

city’s population has doubled. What is wrong, is reducing the council to

five members. Talk about “special interests” taking over. All they need

is three members to gain a majority. The current four member majority

required, is close to impossible to achieve.

How are we to judge the actions of the councils in the last eight

years? Every survey that comes out, the city rates in the top five in the

nation in its population category for public safety. It is a great place

to raise a family and to do business.

At the time Wal-Mart was approved, the majority of the council didn’t

support the neighbors who opposed it. They campaigned to have the project

approved. Voters supported the project.

Is it healthy to debate the pros and cons of council districts? Is it

in the best interests of the city to reduce the number of council members

and create a smoke screen? Absolutely not. As a resident of Huntington

Beach for 35 years, my opinion is that this would be a giant step

backward.

* TOM LIVENGOOD is a Huntington Beach resident and former planning

commissioner and longtime member of Amigos de Bolsa Chica. To contribute

to Sounding Off e-mail us at o7 hbindy@latimes.comf7 or fax us at

(714) 965-7174.