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.
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