Sandy Genis enters Costa Mesa council race

Former Costa Mesa Mayor Sandy Genis announced Tuesday that she will run again for the City Council in November.

“You want people with integrity, who think things through, who put the good of the city above all else,” Genis said. “You don’t run for City Council as a stepping stone to something else. You run for council because you run for the city.”

Genis, a frequent critic of the current council majority, served on the council from 1988 to 1996; she was mayor from 1992 to 1994.

She feels that when she left the city it was in good shape, but now “has changed course.”

She is not affected by term limits. Council members must leave after two consecutive terms but can return after they have sat out for an entire election cycle.

Genis said her involvement in recent years to block the sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds reignited her interest in civic affairs.

“Once I got involved in the fairgrounds, I started seeing what was going on a little more,” she said.

Genis has been an outspoken critic of the council’s plans to outsource city services and its proposal to adopt a proposed city charter, which she believes will give the council too much power.

“Having been there, I see how someone may overstep a tiny, tiny bit when it’s a really good cause, but things can get out of hand from there,” she said. “I want to make sure we have open and clean government, and we’re not hiring cronies, whether it’s for a contract or a city job or even ... for a planning commission.

“I think those should all be open for everybody. If you’re competing and you’re the best person, that should be the No. 1 qualification.”

Genis said she plans to file her candidacy papers this week. She is the ninth person to enter the race.

The other candidates are Councilmen Steve Mensinger and Gary Monahan, Planning Commission Chairman Colin McCarthy, attorney John Stephens, business consultant Marshall Krupp, entrepreneur Harold Weitzberg, medical marijuana advocate Sue Lester and retired public accountant Al Melone.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

Twitter: @JosephSerna