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Commentary: Why I will not vote to reelect the mayor

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I’ve watched and written about Mayor Jim Righeimer since he arrived in Costa Mesa from Fountain Valley.

Here are a few of the reasons I will not vote for him for City Council:

• He doesn’t listen to the people. Even worse, he institutionalized the stifling of free speech at council meetings by bifurcating the public comments period.

• He interrupts speakers and other council members, disrupting their presentations and sometimes lobbing sarcastic epithets at them as they depart the speaker’s podium.

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• He, along with Councilmen Gary Monahan and Steve Mensinger, ignored the voice of the people when his charter was soundly thrashed at the polls two years ago and caused a worse version, Measure O, to be created.

• He created such a toxic atmosphere throughout City Hall that employees have departed in droves, taking with them decades of institutional knowledge and experience. Service levels, in my opinion, have declined dramatically.

• By ignoring consultants and senior law enforcement leaders, his actions have dramatically diminished what was once regarded as the premiere police force in Orange County. He actually sued the association that represents the men and women of the Costa Mesa Police Department. Costa Mesa is not safer today.

• Righeimer complains about unfunded pension liabilities, yet stubbornly refuses to pay one extra cent toward reducing that liability.

• Since he took office, legal fees have about doubled. His first major misstep was the ill-advised attempt to issue layoff notices to more than 200 city employees, which resulted in turmoil throughout the city and a lawsuit that still percolates.

• He portrays himself as a fiscal conservative, yet he and the City Council hand the city CEO a $1 million annual contingency fund.

• On his watch, the Conference & Visitor Bureau covered cost overages for the now-notorious 60th anniversary celebration, turning it away from its mission to attract tourists and into a city piggy bank. On that subject, the whole event is still under scrutiny by the Orange County district attorney’s office and, so far, has resulted in a $170,225 settlement with one employee after nearly 10 months of paid leave.

• The bureau sponsored a trip for Righeimer to China a couple years ago for “business development.” Righeimer, a shopping center developer, has also made junkets to Las Vegas with an entourage of city staffers to a shopping center development conference the past couple years. So far, it is unclear whether the trips have yielded much fruit.

• Under his watch, Costa Mesa has become a haven for developers. He and the council majority imposed a new small-lot ordinance that codifies the elimination of the protections put in place to assure the character of the neighborhoods in our city. But the developers are happy.

• Three-story live-work developments with rooftop patios are popping up in town, taxing the infrastructure in industrial and commercial areas. We are told they will attract young professionals, but nobody planning a family will choose a three-story vertical home in a commercial area surrounded by some of the busiest streets in our city. But the developers are happy.

• I believe that Righeimer has systematically tried to force problem motels out of business. He created a nuisance ordinance and a new code-enforcement army and buried it in public safety visits and fines.

• He championed the annexation of the Santa Ana/Colleen Island on the Eastside. Instead of retaining the county standard of 7,200 square feet, he imposed the city standard for lot sizes in R-1 zones, 6,000 square feet. The developer will benefit greatly.

• Righeimer has so discouraged existing business owners that some, such as the Costa Mesa Motor Inn and businesses being usurped by large residential development, are leaving town. McGregor Yachts, the gold standard for small yachts in the industry and a cornerstone business on our Westside, relocated to Florida, where it was they were welcomed with open arms.

• Sober-living homes are proliferating in Costa Mesa under Righeimer’s watch. He was forced by angry neighbors to create yet another task force — Preserve Our Neighborhoods — to address the issue.

• Righeimer’s campaign finance paperwork shows mainly out-of-town contributors, such as lawyers, developers and fireworks manufacturers.

And, finally, I won’t vote for Righeimer because he rejected the adoption of an ethics policy, which only underscores his arrogance and why he is not worthy of his office. It’s time for a change.

When I cast my ballot I will vote to return mature, considerate, compassionate, intelligent, experienced leadership to the city. I will vote for people who actually listen to the people.

I will vote for former council members Jay Humphrey and Katrina Foley. And I will vote a resounding no on Measure O.

GEOFF WEST publishes the A Bubbling Cauldron blog. He lives in Costa Mesa.

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