Campaign season is loud and here, voter

It has begun. You may hardly notice it now, but soon fliers will fill

your mailbox, signs will clutter your vision and ads will inundate

your downtime. That’s right, it’s time to stop being mere residents

and to become voters.

As we sharpen our political senses, municipal candidates are

burnishing their talking points.

In Costa Mesa, three of the five council seats are up for grabs,

and one new face on the council is guaranteed. Libby Cowan will be

termed out of her seat. Councilman Mike Scheafer has said he will run

for reelection, and Chris Steel, whose seat is one of the three up

for the taking, has not decided if he’ll run again.

We hope for a lively and substantive debate. An increasing lineup

of candidates has potential to put that debate in front of the

voters.

Costa Mesa planning commissioners Katrina Foley and Bruce Garlich

and resident Samuel Clark have pulled papers to run. Former Mayor

Linda Dixon and Planning Commissioner Eric Bever, and Parks and

Recreation Commissioner Mirna Burciaga are expected to vie for seats.

With that mix of council hopefuls, we urge dialogue on issues that

haven’t received much attention in the last two elections -- the

number of charities; the direction and type of development downtown

and on the Westside; and the status of the city’s Job Center, among

others.

The Newport Beach election might not be as intense as its

neighboring city, but expect a campaign push from some familiar

names. Newport Beach city councilmen Steve Bromberg and Steve

Rosansky havequalified to run to keep their seats. Councilman John

Heffernan and Dolores Otting, a member of the city’s environmental

quality affairs committee, have pulled papers to run.

To add to the season’s political brew, Councilman Gary Adams has

announced his pending departure from the council. Adams’ departure

leaves vacant a seat that the city’s attorneys say must be filled by

the council. The appointment process won’t happen until Adams

officially resigns, and he’s not sure when he’s going to do that.

There’s always the chance that the seat would go up for a public vote

if the council does not fill it. Ah, the drama.

Of course, the lineup could still change. Candidates have until

Aug. 6 to file petitions, and they must be signed by at least 20

residents.

So, put your voting caps on. Read the literature, and keep and eye

open on this paper’s pages for more on the races. And feel free to

write down your own thoughts on the campaign and send them to our

Forum page. It won’t exactly be bedtime reading, but, hey, some

informed decisions about who will be making the choices to spend your

money might make for better sleep at night.