Newport Beach to vote on directly electing mayor, some remain concerned

Newport Beach City Council voted on the proposal at an Oct. 26 meeting. Those in favor believe the provision to be more democratic while others fear this could be a power grab that will cost voters. DANIEL PEARSON, Staff Photographer

Newport Beach residents may soon be able to elect their mayor by direct election; the city council voted 3-4 at an Oct. 26 council meeting to put the proposal “Elect Our Mayor” on the ballot. The election will take place June 7, 2022. 

City Councilman Will O’Neill, who serves District 7, supports the proposal, which would increase the mayor’s term to four years. O’Neil feels the current term of one year is too short for a mayor to form effective relationships while in office.

“Relationships really matter, and the way to build up relationships is over time,” O’Neill told The Panther. “So, when mayors need to advocate for their city, whether it’s at the county, state or federal levels, having those relationships really helps.”

Under the current system in Newport Beach, council members rotate, taking turns holding the mayor’s office each year. Some believe the proposed changes would give the mayor too much power. 

Susan Skinner, a Newport Beach resident and outspoken critic of the bill, spoke at the city council meeting about damages she believes the bill will do to the city in the long run. In particular, she highlighted an aspect of the proposal that eliminates the city manager’s ability to put items on the agenda. 

“If we restrict the city manager in this way, we change the relationship between the mayor and the city manager from a partnership to a subservient position,” Skinner said at the meeting. 

The city manager would be required to run every routine agenda item by the elected mayor if the proposal passes. 

Concerns have also also been raised that the proposal would be a loophole around the eight-year term limits for city council. Under this measure, an individual could serve eight years on council and then serve an additional eight as mayor.

“That person would have an unfair advantage, because incumbents are very tough to beat,” Newport Beach resident Roy Englebrecht, who ran for city council in 2018, said at the meeting. 

Elizabeth Stahr, who was voted Newport Citizen of the Year in 2016, said one of the primary detriments to the proposal is the sheer cost for taxpayers of an additional election.

“(Elections) are very expensive and time consuming and in the case of a mayor, totally unnecessary,” Stahr said at the meeting. 

The average cost of administering an election in Orange County is between $76,500 and $85,500. The “Elect Our Mayor” provision would require a special election, amassing an estimated cost of $215,000.

Meanwhile, other cities in the state have also been considering shifting to direct mayoral elections. Huntington Beach City Councilman, Mike Posey, would like to see a similar proposal for his city.

“Having an elected mayor brings continuity to the office, (and) continuity to service brings predictability,” Posey said at the meeting.

As the measure will officially be up for vote in June, voter turnout is a concern for all parties, since voter turnout for special elections is only 10% to 20% in Orange County. Both sides will need to make a case good enough to inspire citizens to vote.