BREAKING NEWS

Incumbent Mayor Jane Egly and former City Clerk Verna Rollinger were elected to the Laguna Beach City Council Tuesday, putting a Village Laguna-endorsed majority in power for the first time since 1994.

Egly led in the voting from the first figures released Tuesday night by the Orange County Registrar of Voters. As of Wed. morning, Egly had 5,996 votes, 37.2% of the votes counted so far.

Rollinger came in second with 5,996 votes. Incumbent Mayor Pro Tem Cheryl Kinsman trailed Rollinger by about 350 votes in her bid for re-election for one of the two open seats.

“I don’t think the five of us currently on the council are poles apart — many of the votes were 5-0, but there will be a shift in political philosophy,” Egly said. “I haven’t quite figured out how the votes will come out, but it will still be one vote at a time.”

This was Rollinger’s second campaign for a council seat. She lost to Kelly Boyd by less than 150 votes in 2006. That was her first ever loss, after winning six elections as city clerk.

“Winning is better,” Rollinger said. “It is hard to lose, I know, and I hope [Cheryl] remembers all the positive things she has done for the city.”

Egly expressed concern about a change in the council sub-committee dealing with the sale of South Coast Medical Center, due to Kinsman’s probable ouster — in the 2006 election the total of votes changed in the certified count, but not the order of finish.

Kinsman was unavailable for comment.

Martha Anderson running unopposed for a second term as City Clerk was the top vote-getter with 8,563 votes cast for her. Laura Parisi was re-elected city treasurer, with 8,477 votes.