Registrar Releases Statement of Votes
Staff editorial

Except in Orange County’s closest races, the results of most contests were known by midnight on Election Day or shortly thereafter. The Registrar of Voters has lately done a remarkable job of posting results quickly on its Website. The Registrar has 30 days following the election to certify results and release a Statement of Votes.

The Statement of Votes breaks out totals by precincts, and anyone who is interested can find out how each candidate faired in various parts of town. The Statement of Votes also provides other interesting details. For example, Mission Viejo’s total turnout (Election Day return plus early votes and absentee ballots) was 54.6 percent, which was lower than usual for the city. Of the city’s 59,563 registered voters, 32,521 cast ballots in the Nov. 7 election. The precinct with highest turnout in Mission Viejo was the west half of the Palmia neighborhood (north Mission Viejo) with a whopping 88.2 percent. Lowest in Mission Viejo (31.2 percent) was an area bordering Crown Valley on the west side of Marguerite, which has an abundance of apartments.

Palmia’s two precincts had turnouts of 88.2 percent and 80.9 percent while Casta del Sol’s four precincts shared high honors with 74.7 percent, 80.5 percent, 82.6 percent and 78.3 percent

In the city council race, the three incumbents – Trish Kelley, John Paul Ledesma and Lance MacLean – won in most of the city’s precincts with a few exceptions. As an example of an exception, Diane Greenwood did well in her own Canyon Crest neighborhood and Stoneridge (along Olympiad), where the power-line issue had traction in 2004. By contrast, Greenwood trailed the incumbents on the opposite side of town in Aegean Hills.

Voters appeared to gravitate toward supporting the incumbents during the countdown to Election Day, which can be seen by comparing numbers from early voters with those voting on Election Day. The Statement of Votes indicated 287 Mission Viejo voters cast early ballots. With each voter having three votes to cast in the council race, the top four candidates were Kelley (97), Ledesma (92), Greenwood (83) and MacLean (74). As a result of early absentee voting (ballots mailed prior to Election Day), the top four were Kelley (5,515), Ledesma (5,071), Greenwood (4,144) and MacLean (3,899).

The order switched somewhat on Nov. 7 with “Election Day only” totals for Kelley (6,579), Ledesma (5,600), MacLean (4,601) and Greenwood (4,253). Other totals for Election Day were Ferrall (3,267), Lonsinger (3,151), Barker (3,089), McCusker (2,867), Woodin (2,861) and Skalsky (2,671). While Greenwood’s supporters complained about yard signs with negative messages about Greenwood and Barker coming out the weekend prior to the election, several other factors just prior to the election may have swayed voters. The street-corner campaigning by Greenwood made a bad impression, particularly her ironic attempt to get MacLean arrested for moving her yard sign while she stood next to her large, homemade sign, “Stop the hate and lies.” The revelation of lobbyist money supporting Greenwood, Barker and McCusker also turned people off.

If the campaign had gone on for additional days, the final results would likely not have changed, but the margin of MacLean’s third-place victory may have increased.

The Buzz column, Dec. 21

Dr. Ron Lackey will have his day in court. Lackey, an outspoken critic of the Capo school district, filed a lawsuit regarding the trustees' June 30, 2005, closed-session meeting to discuss non-agendized items. Lackey alleges the trustees violated the Brown Act when they tried to limit his participation at school board meetings. Or. Co. Superior Court Judge Michael Brenner set the trial to begin June 4, 2007. David Smollar, a former CUSD employee, has already been deposed. Smollar six months ago provided information to the Orange County Register, including the revelation of CUSD's "enemies list" of parents who attempted to recall all seven trustees in 2005.

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Updates from CUSD confirm San Juan Hills High School (the school being built next to a dump) is on schedule to open in San Juan Capistrano in August 2007. While Mission Viejo parents might not be thrilled to have their sons and daughters attending Capo High, its problems seem minor when compared with issues surrounding SJHHS. Some observers continue to predict the school will never open because of environmental and health issues that rival Los Angeles USD’s Belmont Learning Center. According to a San Juan Capistrano resident, the Capo district skirted questions about methane belching from the dump by claiming it wouldn’t affect the school next door. The assurance given in an environmental report: the wind doesn’t blow in San Juan Capistrano, so any gas from the dump stays put.

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Last week’s blog indicated Councilman Frank Ury had been bypassed for his turn as mayor, with Councilwoman Gail Reavis getting the title for 2007. A blog reader’s asked: “When the other council members decided to bypass Frank Ury, wouldn’t it have been John Paul Ledesma’s turn to serve as mayor in 2007? Ledesma was mayor in 2003, and the council instead chose Gail Reavis, who was mayor in 2004.” The blog learned that Ledesma probably preferred not to be mayor this time around. Personal matters might have top priority, as Ledesma got married in July and spent the next four months campaigning for his reelection. Ledesma was selected by his fellow council members to serve as vice mayor for 2007.

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The Orange County Register recently reported behind-the-scenes discussions among Republicans regarding the opening for a county supervisor. When Supervisor Lou Correa won his Nov. 7 race to become a California State Senator, numerous Republican candidates began emerging to fill the county post. According to a Register columnist, GOP County Chair Scott Baugh is trying to improve the Republican Party’s odds of winning by narrowing the field of Republican candidates. If Baugh gets it about reducing the number of Republican candidates, why did he allegedly bring Justin McCusker into Mission Viejo’s city council race when nine other Republicans were running?