Passion for local politics

Jose Paul Corona

Local politics was a regular topic of conversation at the dinner

table when Jill Hardy was growing up.

“That’s how I learned how the city operates,” said one of Surf

City’s newest council members.

A fourth generation Huntington Beach resident, Hardy says that

city business occupies a lot of her free time when she’s not teaching

math at Huntington Beach High School.

“Everybody’s got a hobby. Mine just happens to be local politics,”

she said.

A quick look through Hardy’s resume proves that statement to be

true. The 31-year-old leaves a post as a member of the Huntington

Beach Planning Commission and sits on the Bolsa Chica Land Trust and

the board of directors of Huntington Beach Tomorrow.

The welfare of residents is what motivated her to run for the City

Council, Hardy said.

“I wanted to make sure that there were people on the council that

listened to the people of Huntington Beach and listened to their

concerns,” she said.

While the current council did a good job of listening to

residents, that hasn’t always been the case, Hardy said.

“I can remember times when the council wasn’t there [for

residents],” she said.

Working so close to City Hall, at Huntington Beach High School,

will definitely be an advantage, Hardy said.

Having her afternoons off from teaching has allowed her to get a

lot work done when she was on the Planning Commission, but she’s

never been able to get everything done, Hardy said.

“I have a lot of work that I take home with me,” she said.

While the looming budget crisis is a chief concern, keeping

beaches open, water quality and public safety also top her “to

tackle” list.

Hardy feared her youth might be a detriment in the race for the

council, but her involvement, and thus her visibility, gave her a

boost. That involvement also served her well while she was on the

Planning Commission, fellow Commissioner Tom Livengood said.

“I put her in a category as a team player,” Livengood said. “A lot

of the things she’s gotten involved with in the community shows

that.”

Her wide experience will also be an asset on the council. That

experience gave her a base of knowledge that other candidates didn’t

have, Livengood added.