Laguna Beach voters will have plenty of choices to make Nov. 6, with 12 candidates competing for three seats on the City Council, five candidates vying for three seats on the Laguna Beach Unified School District board, and a city sales tax measure intended to fund the undergrounding of utility poles and wires along evacuation routes like Laguna Canyon Road.
Three seats are up for grabs on the Laguna Beach City Council as the terms of Council member Toni Iseman, Mayor Pro Tem Rob Zur Schmiede and Mayor Kelly Boyd expire this year. Boyd’s seat will be open as he’s retiring. Both Zur Schmiede and Iseman have filed to run for another term.
Ten other candidates have thrown their hats in the ring for those three seats: Judie Mancuso, nonprofit CEO and California Veterinary Medical Board member; Laguna Canyon Conservancy board member Lorene Laguna;
Planning Commissioner Sue Kempf; former council member and accountant Cheryl Kinsman; real estate agent Elizabeth Bates; gallerist Peter Blake; former council member Ann Christoph; artist Allison Mathews; financial manager Paul Merritt; and financial services professional Sue Marie Connolly.
In the Laguna Beach Unified School District race, incumbents Dee Perry and Carol Normandin are running for another term, challenged by attorney Christine de Bretteville, retired college president James Kelly, and business owner Mark Nelson.
Of the five-member school board, three terms are set to expire in November. One seat is open as board member Ketta Brown is not seeking a fourth term.
Voters will also decide the fate of a proposed one-cent sales tax hike that would generate funds for burying utility poles along Laguna Canyon Road and other local evacuation routes.
The proposed special purpose tax, if approved, would raise local sales tax to 8.75 percent from 7.75 percent, or a 12.9 percent increase, which would be the highest in the county.
The tax will require a two-thirds majority vote to pass and earmarks the funds for specific uses that can only be altered by a vote of the public. A sunset clause in the ballot measure states that the tax would conclude within 25 years.
With 12 candidates running for 3 seats on City Council, it appears that 10 members of the public prefer that new outside leadership is elected to City Council to improve the quality of life for all residents.
VOTE to elect candidate Lorene Laguna on November 6, 2018 ~if you agree that residents deserve a 365 DOG BEACH and one Resident Parking Permit @ no cost, per R1 lot.
365 DOG BEACH, dogs will be allowed to share unrestricted beach access, 365 days per year for early morning exercise from 6-9AM
Residents will be provided one R1, Residential Parking Permit @ no cost, with unrestricted parking on all metered parking and public lots 365 days per year.
365 RESIDENTS FIRST~The taxpaying resident has needs that deserve to be acknowledged and prioritized.
LoreneLaguna2018CityCouncil.com
CC Candidate Lorene thanks for the post. It provides the opportunity to comment on your candidacy run.
This election definitely could be a roulette wheel experience but I think voters who do proper vetting of the candidates personal, professional and leadership experience will find there are only a few eligible and sound choices. Aside from having the same values and goals for our city it’s about transparency and trust. In your case, changing your last name to our City name to run for a seat on our council makes it impossible to fully vett you and verify your experience or history. Why on earth would I vote for you? You could say your royalty or a Kardashian (haha) and how would we know differently? That’s quite convenient for you but not acceptable to me. I personally think your goals and priorities of dogs and stickers is way off from the high-level snd serious topics and needs of our City and shows you don’t have a clue about our town or leadership or running a City. Another candidate dropped the last name entirely. Same story, no sold way to vett unless folks know the former last name. . I think one reporter mentioned the last name and some government service to Laguna Niguel so this one is a little easier to learn about for this individual. Voters, you are hiring an individual to hold the highest level government job in our City. They will oversee and make decisions on our futures;finances, visitors, infrastructure, staff, operations, dealing with multi government agencies and your property including our beaches and open space. I would never consider a future leader who puts dogs and stickers as their top priority and whose personal and professional experience I know nothing about snd cant verify. This isn’t a popularity contest. As for the dog and sticker show…let’s have a high-schooler take on these types of minor projects for us and see where it goes.