Mensinger to run in November

Costa Mesa City Councilman Steve Mensinger will run for election in November to keep the seat he was appointed to last year, he told the Daily Pilot on Wednesday.

“I want to make a difference,” Mensinger said.

Mensinger, 50, an Orange County businessman, was appointed to the council in January 2010. He took over the seat vacated by Newport-Mesa school board trustee Katrina Foley, who stepped down when she was elected to the previous November.

Mensinger will likely face stiff opposition from community activists, and possibly public employee organizations, both of which have been heavily critical of the city’s austerity measures over the last 16 months. He will also likely be supported by members of a local taxpayers’ group that supports the reforms he and Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer have proposed.

Mensinger and Righeimer have spearheaded a push to dramatically cut the city’s payroll, outsource city services and steer money toward public projects.

—Joseph Serna

Twitter: @JosephSerna