Mr. Mayor, a point, please

The cats seem to be fairly well out of the bag when it comes to

Newport-Mesa’s next mayors.

Newport Beach Councilman Steve Bromberg has been all but set in

the seat, while in Costa Mesa, Gary Monahan seems the only logical

choice, with Councilwoman Libby Cowan apparently not interested in

the post.

Whenever talk of a new mayor arises, invariably the word

“ceremonial” gets tossed about immediately. However, recent history

shows that the cities’ top elected spots need to carry more weight

than that.

Mainly, this history revolves around John Wayne Airport and El

Toro. And the mayor of record when it comes to the airport issue

doesn’t live in Newport-Mesa.

He lives, of course, in Irvine.

Larry Agran, who managed to resurrect his political career in

large part by fighting off the threat of an airport at the closed El

Toro Marine Air Base, has the advantage of being an elected mayor.

But, still, to have so beat back the Newport Beach-based El Toro

juggernaut is a feat not solely attributable to him being “elected”

and not “ceremonial.”

A similar force of will is needed in Newport-Mesa, and not just to

continue the El Toro fight or to secure the settlement extension at

John Wayne.

In Costa Mesa, the next mayor will have to guide a young, largely

inexperienced council. Monahan has said he wants to hold his fellow

dais-sitters to a stricter standard. He wants them prepared for

meetings; he wants them to make decisions and not leave residents

waiting as agenda items are continuing from one meeting to the next.

The city’s Westside remains a problem. Housing expansions --

notably second-story additions -- are seemingly an every council

issue. Redevelopment throughout the city has been waiting to happen.

Monahan’s challenge is to drop the ceremony and make this council

work.

Bromberg will face familiar issues in Newport Beach. This month’s

election did little to settle the Greenlight vs. development issue;

there are still numerous residents who feel the council is not

exactly responsive, or even civil, to their concerns. The general

plan update -- nearly as important to the city as the airport

settlement agreement -- will need to be moved along with a delicate,

even hand.

Bromberg’s legal specialty is negotiation. Perhaps those talents

will serve the city well.

Both leaders will likely face difficult budget times, too, given

the state of the state’s budget.

Newport Beach Mayor Tod Ridgeway showed a bit of this needed

tenacity, a hint of rising above the ceremony of the office, in his

state of the city address at the beginning of the year.

His speech, of course, ended up being characterized as his

pointing the finger at older Newport residents who, in their desire

to leave the city as it is, were hurting younger people who

increasingly cannot afford to buy a home here.

That his words drew such criticism was, and is, notable.

Typically, such speeches are filled with cream-puff pronouncements,

pie-in-the-sky goals -- or nothing substantial at all.

Ridgeway, to his credit, took the stage and sought to use his

bully pulpit to some end. Whether his message was right is not the

concern. That he actually had a message is.

Monahan and Bromberg could learn a lesson from him.

And Agran.

* S.J. CAHN is the managing editor. He can be reached at (949)

574-4233 or by e-mail at s.j.cahn@latimes.com.