THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE:

Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman John Moorlach thinks Sheriff Sandra Hutchens is doing a bang-up job in her new post, despite a battle that erupted earlier this week between 2nd Amendment advocates and the sheriff.

A posse of more than 100 gun rights advocates flocked to the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday to protest Hutchens’ crackdown on concealed weapon permits.

Hutchens has issued concealed weapon revocation letters to more than 400 Orange County residents, telling them they need to give stronger proof of their need to carry a concealed weapon.

While Moorlach is pro-gun, he said he couldn’t vote in good conscience to tell the sheriff to take a step back from the issue.

“You can’t do that to a constitutional officer that is in an elected position,” Moorlach said. “The sheriff exercises discretion in that area. We can’t say this is what she’s supposed to do.”

After a roughly eight-hour meeting, Moorlach and the rest of the board voted to adopt a revised resolution that advises Hutchens to ease up on her review of concealed weapons permits.

DIXON OPENS UP

Two-term Councilwoman and former Mayor Linda Dixon told city television producer Dane Bora that her family convinced her to end her Costa Mesa political career by not running for council this year.

As Dixon’s days as a Costa Mesa politician came to an end, she sat down with Bora for a 15-minute heart-to-heart about her tenure on the council.

“City Council has always been a family thing for me, and if my family is behind me I’m always ready to go for it. This year was kind of different; we kind of discussed it as a family and it’s time for me to move on,” Dixon said.

She decided not to run for a third term this year and will be yielding her seat to newly elected Councilman Gary Monahan, but if she were to have run, she thinks she would have won, Dixon told Bora.

Dixon, who has not been as visible in the media during her final few months on the council, talked about her favorite achievements as a councilwoman and the things that frustrated her the most. She cited the partisan politics that have defined the council in recent years as her least favorite thing about serving.

“I like to believe that when we’re elected, regardless of where we stand politically outside City Council, that we’re here to make Costa Mesa a good place for everybody. I think my biggest disappointment was the division and the, ‘If it’s not my idea and it comes from someone over there it’s not a good idea,’” Dixon said.

Her proudest achievement was the beautification of 19th Street.

“That to me is phenomenal. I’m really proud of that. I think that will go down in history as being a big turnaround for the Westside and the start of many new things to come,” Dixon said.

Dixon wants to focus her efforts on pursuing a psychology degree now.

And in case you were looking for somewhere to eat tonight, she said her three favorite restaurants are Soprano’s, Sushi Island and I Love Sushi.

BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at brianna.bailey@latimes.com. ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at alan.blank@latimes.com.