Maddox moves offices to Costa Mesa

Paul Clinton

After three months as the city’s assemblyman, Ken Maddox is moving

to town.

Maddox, who was elected as the city’s new representative in the

Assembly in November, announced the move of his district office from

Garden Grove to Costa Mesa on Monday.

The new office is closer to the center of the new 68th District,

which was realigned by state lawmakers a year ago based on 2000

Census data. Maddox is moving in today.

“It makes us much more accessible to voters in the district as

newly drawn,” Maddox said about the move. “The current location

didn’t make a lot of sense.”

Maddox has held an Assembly seat since 1998. Before November, he

represented primarily Garden Grove. Costa Mesa and that city now make

up nearly equal parts of the new barbel-shaped district, which also

includes Fountain Valley. Part of Garden Grove was taken out of

Maddox’s old district. In exchange, the legislator was handed Costa

Mesa, which had been in Assemblyman John Campbell’s 70th District.

City leaders said they welcomed the move.

“Local access to state legislators is very good,” Costa Mesa Mayor

Karen Robinson said. “[Now] that he is in Costa Mesa, [it] will be

more convenient to get a hold of [him].”

At 5 p.m. today, Maddox is scheduled to move in the desks, plug in

the phones and install his staff of six in the new local office,

which is at 1503 S. Coast Drive. It’s near the San Diego Freeway and

Harbor Boulevard.

Maddox is moving from a 1,500-square-foot office to one that’s

about 1,200 square feet. The rent is about the same, Maddox said.

Maddox said his staff is looking forward to the move to Costa

Mesa, which is dotted with a few more restaurants and shops than

sleepy Garden Grove.

“My staff is really excited about the shopping opportunities on

their lunch break,” Maddox said. “The staff got tired of eating at

McDonald’s.”