Familiar faces start race to dais

Deirdre Newman

Three well-known names have taken the first step in running for City

Council, though all three candidates may not end up on the November

ballot.

Planning Commissioner Katrina Foley, Planning Commissioner Eric

Bever and former Mayor Linda Dixon all have filed Candidate Intention

Statements. Resident Samuel Clark is the fourth person to file forms

enabling candidates to start raising money in a race for three seats.

Of the City Council members up for re-election, Mike Scheafer, who

was appointed to the council when former Mayor Karen Robinson left

last year to become a Superior Court judge, says he will probably

run. Chris Steel is waiting a little longer to decide, and Libby

Cowan can’t run since she is termed out.

Foley ran for a council seat in 2002, but lost to Mayor Gary

Monahan in his reelection bid, along with Councilman Allan Mansoor.

She says she is still dedicated to improving the city.

“I’m just going to still be out talking to people and trying to

find what is most important to the voters,” Foley said. “And right

now, I think what’s most important to the voters is making sure the

city coffers are protected so we can continue to enjoy the services

and programs that we believe our city governments should provide.”

Foley said she believes the race will be just as competitive as it

was in 2002.

Clark said he is entering the race because he feels he can

contribute the fiscal management skills he honed as an accounting

consultant.

“I believe that I’m conservative in my thinking and fiscally

responsible and able to help think through some of these things we’re

doing to see if we can pull out of the deficit we’re in at the moment

and move forward into a more prosperous Costa Mesa,” Clark said.

Clark serves on the Redevelopment and Residential Rehabilitation

Committee and was involved with band booster clubs at Costa Mesa High

School when his kids went to school there.

Clark said he supports controlled growth and likes the modified

version of the high-density 1901 Newport Boulevard condominium

project, which is still in limbo because of a developer lawsuit.

“I actually think 1901 Newport in its current, very scaled-down

plan is good for the economy of the downtown area,” Clark said. “I

don’t believe we’ll attract upscale businesses and increase rents for

the business corridor until we change the demographics of the area

sufficiently to cause them to want to be there.”

Bever was appointed to the Planning Commission after he withdrew

from the competition to replace Robinson last spring. He said he

filed the intention statement as a formality and he hasn’t committed

to running yet. He is thinking about throwing his hat into the ring

because he sees a vacuum of leadership on the council.

“I see a lack of leadership in a number of areas,” Bever said.

“For example, we have double-density development at 1901 Newport. I

think that was a big mistake. Another would be the recent giveaways

of public funds. This is money necessary to meet our financial

obligations, but we give it away anyway.”

Bever said his experience on the Planning Commission would serve

him well if he decides to run for council.

“It’s given me an opportunity to delve into some contentious

issues and try to find out the rational and reasonable solutions to a

number of questions,” Bever said. “And I think it has maybe, to some

degree, enabled me to prove myself in the eyes of the public.”

Dixon said she hasn’t made up her mind yet on whether she will

run.

Scheafer has not filed a intention statement yet, but said he

plans on running “unless I get surprised or blindsided by something

that I don’t anticipate.” He said his time of nearly a year on the

council gives him an edge.

“I think it will help because I have a broader sense of the issues

that affect the whole city,” Scheafer said. “I think a lot of people

run because they’re focused on one or a couple of distinct issues --

there’s a motivation to run. And once you’re in there and you can see

more of the wider perspective, I think that helps.”

Steel said he doesn’t usually file the intent to run since he

primarily uses his own money to finance his campaigns. In his last

campaign, he said he spent between $25,000 to $26,000 of his own

money.

“I spend my own money so I can avoid the special interests,” Steel

said.

Steel said he hopes other candidates also resist the allure of

special interest money.

“That’s the problem here right now -- there are candidates who get

on [the council] and bam, they sell out or get cold feet or both,”

Steel said. One former council candidate has said he is definitely

not running this year. Planning Commissioner Bill Perkins said he

will sit out this race to spend time taking care of a family member

who is ill.

“I think that maybe, I could serve a better purpose on the

Planning Commission,” he added.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.