Council kills 7-district plan

Jenny Marder

Voters will have just one council district measure to choose from

come March.

The City Council chose courage over caution when it narrowly voted

against placing a seven-district initiative on the March ballot to

compete with a five-district plan proposed by former Assemblyman

Scott Baugh last year.

Known as the Fair District Initiative, the initiative voters will

approve or deny would slice the city into five districts, reduce the

number of council members by two and remove the people’s power to

vote for council members at large.

While most, if not all, of the council is against creating

districts in the city, several felt a seven-district plan similar to

the one in Newport Beach would be better than the option that will go

before voters.

Councilman Dave Sullivan, who is ultimately opposed to

districting, proposed the seven-district plan as a safety net against

the five district plan, which he considers drastically inferior.

But Councilwoman Pam Houchen, who cast the swing vote in denying

the seven-district plan, said that those opposed should fight the

existing plan rather than provide an alternative to cushion it.

“I feel that we need to be standing up for what we believe in, and

I don’t think there’s a member of the council that supports the plan

on the ballot,” Houchen said. “I don’t want, at any point, to be

living in Huntington Beach and be put in a position where people have

one vote for one council member that dictates what happens in the

community.”

Her comments represented a 180-degree turnaround from her position

two weeks ago, in which she voted to support the plan.

Mayor Connie Boardman and Councilwomen Debbie Cook and Jill Hardy

also opposed the measure.

“By supporting districting, we’re decreasing representation, and

I’m not going to support that,” Boardman said.

Many residents criticized districting at Monday’s meeting, but few

advocates came out to speak on its behalf.

Critics called the districting plan fundamentally flawed and

defended the status quo.

“Over the last 40 years, Huntington Beach has grown into one of

the best and safest cities to live in,” said Ed Kerins, president of

community watchdog group Huntington Beach Tomorrow. “The City

Council-elected-at-large form of government, combined with

significant citizen participation has been key to Huntington Beach’s

success. Why destroy this successful form of government? I wouldn’t

want that albatross around my neck.”

Opponents will have until March to sway voters away from

districting.

“People opposed to districts will have to put up a hell of fight,”

Sullivan said. “It’s a big, uphill battle, and it’s a challenge to

get the message out. People will have to really step up to the plate

and fight it. Otherwise, I see the [five-district plan] winning.”

* JENNY MARDER covers City Hall. She can be reached at (714)

965-7173 or by e-mail at jenny.marder@latimes.com.