Guest Opinion: By the People (and Data), For the People (and Results)

By Alex Rounaghi, City Council Candidate

“In God we trust. Everyone else bring data.” I’ve referenced this Michael Bloomberg quote many times throughout my City Council campaign, whether it be discussing my priorities at candidate forums or knocking on doors to hear what matters to voters. That’s because we need data in order to deliver results for Laguna Beach.

For years, our community has craved a cohesive vision that would take Laguna into the future. It often feels like our core values–small-town character, environmental sustainability, a warm and inclusive culture–only show up in a piecemeal fashion. Why aren’t our arts thriving? Where’s a comprehensive strategy for making Laguna walkable and bike-friendly? What’s our plan for wildfires, housing, our kids’ safety, and more? How is it that the foundations of our community–which I think we all hold dear–aren’t fully integrated in our decision-making?

There have been attempts to create a holistic, values-based plan for Laguna Beach. Vision 2030 (1999) and the Climate Protection Action Plan (2009) are two laudable examples. But in both cases, there was no implementation plan. Community members offered excellent ideas, but the City did not lay out a clear roadmap to make those ideas a reality.

I want Laguna Beach to plan for its long-term future as a hub of inclusion, sustainability, and innovation. More importantly, I want us to implement those plans and deliver positive results for Laguna. As a Councilmember, I’d use data to make that happen.

First, I’d push the City to create a 5-Year Strategic Plan that outlines our City’s mission, vision, high-level goals, and metrics for the next five years. Our current “strategic planning” process is a wishlist for one year—not a real long-term strategy. That must change.

We must then restructure the budget process to follow the strategic plan, allowing the City to make budgetary decisions based on how they advance strategic priorities. I strongly support performance-based budgeting, wherein City department heads identify performance metrics and create a plan to track them. Funding would then be allocated based on outcomes, incentivizing continual improvement and efficiency at City Hall. Without collecting and basing decisions on data, we’re doomed to continue planning without results.

Data-driven governance might sound cold and generally un-sexy. But I want to emphasize that people are an integral part of this evidence-based approach. Data doesn’t just come from traffic reports and tax filings; it comes from listening to community members, who can best speak to whether their needs are being met. As with Vision 2030 and the Climate Protection Action Plan, we need Lagunans’ ample insights and talents to build a collective future.

That’s why we need more ways to listen–and listen better–to Laguna residents. Public hearings and resident workshops are great, but they are not an answer in themselves. We need standards around what exactly happens at public hearings, who participates, how community feedback is collected, and what the City then does with that feedback. 

We also need more creativity when it comes to soliciting community input. That will allow us to hear from residents who do not feel as comfortable attending a public hearing, or who need to work or care for their kids on a Tuesday night instead of going to a City Council meeting. Neighborhood listening sessions, virtual forms of participation, and interactive feedback channels are all excellent tools.

The challenges we face are complex. There are no easy solutions, and I will never pretend that I have all the answers. But I pledge to be a Councilmember who listens to the community, does my homework, and makes evidence-based decisions to benefit the city we all love.