SUNDAY STORY:Crowded Ballot

Tuesday could be an historic day in Newport-Mesa.

Why? For plenty of reasons.

There are six council seats up for the taking in Newport Beach.

There are two sharply divided sides in Costa Mesa, where immigration enforcement has put the city on the national radar.

Longtime incumbents are seeking four more years on the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

And elsewhere on the ballot are local races with familiar names.

It all makes for a busy ballot on what, because of a horde of statewide initiatives, is already crowded with names and arguments.

In Newport-Mesa, at least, here’s who is running and what is at stake:

Costa Mesa City Council

The race for two seats on the City Council has become increasingly bitter and divisive, with the city’s planned enforcement of immigration laws remaining the central issue. But public safety, the dearth of playing fields in the city and development on the Westside have also been the focus of the campaign.

Newport Beach City Council

District 1

The most crowded field in Newport Beach, the Balboa Peninsula district includes a Greenlight-backed candidate, Brenda Martin, two who are targeting each other — Michael Henn and Jack Wu — and a fourth candidate who is keeping up in the race, Marcia Dossey. Besides the controversial city measures V and X, the existence of drug treatment homes has been a central issue.

District 3The District 3 race isn’t much of one. Mayor Don Webb is running unopposed.

District 4The Eastbluff and Santa Ana Heights race may or may not be a race, depending on your perspective. Barbara Venezia dropped out, but some voters still plan to vote for her. Appointed incumbent Leslie Daigle has continued to run a hard campaign, including sending out mailers in the last week of the election.

District 5The Balboa Island race pits appointed incumbent Ed Selich against three-time candidate Robert Schoonmaker. Selich, a planning commissioner before joining the council, has a long history in City Hall but largely does not carry the baggage of politics among City Hall critics.

District 6

The Corona del Mar race pits an incumbent, Dick Nichols, who has angered many of his constituents with several controversial proposals, against a first-time candidate who is a lifelong Newport Beach resident, Nancy Gardner. Gardner has the establishment endorsements, but any incumbent is difficult to unseat.

District 7The Newport Coast race includes one of the city’s most consistent and respected critics, Dolores Otting, against the council member who may be its steadiest in Keith Curry. Otting garnered 17,000 votes when she ran two years ago and, with the backing of the Greenlight group, she poses a formidable challenge to the appointed incumbent.

Newport Beach measures

Measure VThe update to the city’s General Plan largely has been attacked regarding what it does, or does not, do. Compared to the amount of traffic and development allowed under the present General Plan, the update reduces both. But compared to what is on the streets and built today, it allows for increases. Voters will have to decide if the allowances make sense to them.

Information: www.smartvoter.org

Measure WThe least high-profile of the city’s measures would prohibit the city from exercising eminent domain “to further private economic development.” Opponents of the measure say that with coming city laws, it may be redundant.

Information: www.smartvoter.org

Measure XThe Greenlight II initiative would limit development based on what exists today. If passed, projects that add 100 dwelling units, 40,000 square feet or 100 peak-hour vehicles to the city would go to a citywide vote. Measure X, essentially, would override changes made in the General Plan update, Measure V.

Information: www.newportgreenlight.com

Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board of Trustees

There’s only one major bone of contention in the race for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District board of trustees: term limits. As Judy Franco and Serene Stokes — who have served since 1980 and 1994, respectively — run for another four years, several of their contenders have argued that the board needs fresh blood. Whoever triumphs will take the reins of Newport-Mesa at a crucial time in history, with Jeffrey Hubbard newly appointed as superintendent, three schools on a federal list for academic interventions and the Measure F school bond set to begin construction.

Coast Community College District Board of Trustees

The issues facing the Coast Community College District board of trustees reflect those of districts across California. Several of the contenders this year have stressed the need to keep tuition affordable and the importance of training students for technological careers. Longtime trustee George Brown is stepping down, opening up a four-way race for his open seat, while appointed board member Mary Hornbuckle faces two challengers in her first election.

Costa Mesa Sanitary DistrictThe sanitary district race includes outgoing Costa Mesa City Councilman Gary Monahan vying for one of three seats along with strong incumbents.

Orange County Water DistrictThe Orange County Water District race for Newport Beach residents is notable largely for one of the names on the ballot: outgoing City Councilman Tod Ridgeway. He faces an uphill battle against the appointed incumbent.