City Election Update

The incumbent slate (Council Members Trish Kelley and Dave Leckness and challenger Richard Sandzimier) cannot campaign on issues because their pro-developer, big-spending ways clash with residents’ beliefs. Kelley and Leckness can’t run on their voting record because it shows they’re out of touch. They’ve insulted residents, cast self-serving votes, and Kelley lied in her ballot statement. She will likely be sued for libel and slander for her comments regarding a conflict between Sandzimier and Joe Holtzman over the placement of Sandzimier’s signs.

The 2010 city campaign theme has become “No Incumbents.” Almost anyone would be better than Kelley, Leckness and Sandzimier. The greatest obstacle in defeating all three is the stampede of challengers who will split the vote.

Kelley usually says little during council meetings. She’s inarticulate and incapable of grasping financial matters. Her inaugural campaign in 2002 introduced her as a fresh face – someone who would end the personal clashes on the dais. After her election, she began cat-fighting with then-Councilwoman Gail Reavis – not about city issues but over who would be mayor. Kelley’s egregiously nasty emails during the past month have revealed her vindictive nature, which she usually hides by having third parties attack her enemies. Her noteworthy council achievements include bestowing lifetime medical benefits for council members who serve three terms on the council and doubling the council stipend at a time when her constituents were losing their jobs.

Leckness, a proud graduate of Clown College, adds amusement to the city’s business meetings with off-the-wall remarks. He said he would vote in the same manner that Lance MacLean voted prior to his Feb. 2 recall, and he has. Maybe he didn’t understand that residents removed MacLean because they didn’t like the way he voted. Leckness defined himself as a politician when he supported lifetime medical benefits for council members. Other aspects of his self-serving nature are his constant references to his copy shop business during council meetings.

As the election has grown closer, Sandzimier has lost momentum. Privately, he’s complaining about the negative aspects of campaigning, and he says he’s exhausted. Evidently, he thought his arrogant attitude shouldn’t be a campaign issue. Information came out on MissionViejoDispatch.com that he “forgot” to mention during a forum that his employer is Parsons-Brinckerhoff. His ties to developers, lobbyists and homebuilders are obvious.

Kelley, Leckness and Sandzimier have professional campaign consultants and the financial backing of special interest groups. Last week, the three each reported (Form 497 Contribution Report) donations of $1,000 from the South Coast Apartment Association, Sacramento. Are voters interested in locations of future apartments in Mission Viejo? Likely targets are the Casta del Sol Golf Course, the Unisys property on Jeronimo, the retail center at La Paz and Marguerite, two sites on east Los Alisos near Palmia and closed school campuses.

If even two of the three incumbent slate candidates are elected on Nov. 2, they’ll become the majority with Councilman Frank Ury, who has a voting record of rezoning property to high-density housing. In 2005, Ury, ex-councilman Lance MacLean and Trish Kelley voted to oust the city’s best-ever planning commissioners who had defended the Master Plan and rejected apartment proposals. Ury, MacLean and Kelley paved the way to rezoning properties for affordable housing after Ury and MacLean (as the ad hoc affordable housing committee) threw out the city’s affordable housing plan. A lawsuit stemming from the council majority’s buffoonery cost city taxpayers more than $1 million. MacLean bragged during the campaign to recall him that no housing has been built lately. However, when the housing market recovers, the character of several neighborhoods will change dramatically because zone changes have already taken place.

To protect the city’s Master Plan as well as taxpayers’ wallets, voters should reject Kelley, Leckness and Sandzimier on November 2. Responsible adults who are actively campaigning include Neil Lonsinger, Rhonda Reardon, Bill Barker, Ken Golemo and Fred Carr. Mark Dobrilovic could be a strong, reform-minded replacement if he were actively campaigning. Sam Mamola has his name on the ballot, but he’s not in the race. To the relief of many, Lance MacLean has practically dropped out of sight.