Woman’s appointment engenders praise

Deirdre Newman

City Councilmen’s determination to have a woman among their ranks

to help them better serve the community is right on, according to a

local political observer.

Research at the local, state and federal level has found that

women excel at listening to and acting on the desires of those they

represent, UC Irvine political science professor Mark Petracca said.

“Kudos to them,” Petracca said in praise of the council for

choosing Leslie Daigle, who had served on the Newport Beach Planning

Commission for about three months.

But Petracca also issued a caveat.

“I’m not sure that a single woman on the City Council should have

the burden of having to represent all women in Newport Beach,”

Petracca said. “That’s not fair.”

Daigle was appointed Tuesday over eight other candidates vying to

replace Gary Adams, who resigned from the council in September to

take a job promotion in Washington, D.C. She was sworn in Tuesday

night.

She said she was thrilled to be selected from such a high-caliber

group of candidates. But while Daigle agreed that having a woman on

the council better reflects the community, she said she wanted to be

judged on her qualifications.

She is looking forward to her first council meeting in October.

“I review all of the materials, am meeting with each of the City

Council members and city staff and getting to learn the nuances of

the issues and the ebb and flow of the council,” Daigle said.

In addition to being better listeners, women are also highly

skilled at the art of compromise, Petracca said.

“[Another] body of research seems to suggest that, stylistically,

women have certain skills that men frequently either don’t have or

don’t have them in as well-developed a way,” Petracca said. “Women

are particularly effective at working toward compromise.”

Daigle, 42, infuses the council with even more young blood, Mayor

Tod Ridgeway said, after council members appointed Steve Rosansky to

the dais last year to replace Gary Proctor.

“She’s younger and represents a constituency out there that is not

necessarily represented in the election process, and for that I’m

very pleased,” Ridgeway said.

Ridgeway and Councilman John Heffernan agreed Tuesday that having

a woman on the council would bring a needed balance in representing

the city.

The first two times the council voted Tuesday resulted in ties

between Daigle and Planning Commissioner Barry Eaton. Councilman

Steve Bromberg, who had voted for Eaton twice, changed his mind on

the third vote and went with Daigle to break the tie.

Bromberg’s action illustrated his trademark diplomacy, Ridgeway

said.

“He was trying to reach a consensus, and somebody had to do it,

and I actually commend Steve for doing that,” Ridgeway said.

Eaton said he was pleased to have been supported by the council.

“I’m glad I got as many votes as I did and the City Council had as

much confidence as they did to give me three votes,” Eaton said. “I

do know Leslie is a quick learner, and I’m sure she’ll learn the job

quick.”

Eaton doubted he will run for the seat in 2006 because it’s so

difficult to unseat an incumbent.

Daigle grew up in Cape Cod, Mass., and has lived in Newport Beach

for 16 years.

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

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