Signatures are in; district initiative on the ballot

A group of 10 Fair District Initiative volunteers trouped into City

Hall on Monday to deliver six boxes and an envelope containing 22,065

signatures to the city clerk.

With the required 16,000 signatures delivered, Huntington Beach

residents will vote, in November, on the way the city government is set

up. The initiative, proposed by former Assemblyman Scott Baugh, would

split the city into five districts and reduce the number of council

members from seven to five. Council members would be elected by residents

living in their districts.

Local businessman and resident Ed Laird led the group into City Hall

Monday afternoon. Laird said he backs the districting plan because he did

not feel the current council adequately represents all areas of the city.

“For the most part the representatives live in the coastal area or

Downtown,” he said, adding that he felt the southeast area of Huntington

Beach was largely overlooked.

Laird said he felt the districting plan would be a step toward solving

those problems.

Russ Reinhardt, president of the Huntington Beach Police Officer’s

Assn. was among the 10 supporters on behalf of the organization that

voted to back the initiative.

“We’ve seen problems with the current system -- it doesn’t seem to

work,” Reinhardt said. “[Districts] would provide better representation

for residents.”