Righeimer's Charter Revived...

Having spent the entire day gallivanting around with my sweet and very patient wife running errands and having fun on her much-deserved day off I returned to find that the Charter gremlins are back in business.

In a press release that hit my in box shortly after 2:00 p.m. today, Costa Mesa Director of Communications, Bill Lobdell, informed us that the first of two required public hearings on Jim Righeimer's Charter before it can be placed on the November ballot will be held - are you ready? - on the date of the June 5th Primary Election. That was the ballot that the City failed to get this disaster on due to a couple of major administrative gaffes. So, it looks like at least a few of the voters in this city will actually have a chance to "consider" it, but only if they find time after working, dealing with family matters and voting!
The scheduling of this hearing on this date is very interesting since it is VERY likely that we will still be wrestling with a budget at that time. Who knows where THAT issue is going to go now that Righeimer has fabricated a crisis and will be expecting the staff to find dollars where there are none for projects that are much less critical than keeping our streets safe.
THE PRESS RELEASE
The unedited text of Lobdell's press release follows:
1ST PUBLIC HEARING SET TO CONSIDER CHARTER MEASURE FOR NOVEMBER BALLOT
COSTA MESA, CALIF - The City of Costa Mesa has set June 5 as the date for the first required public hearing to consider a proposed City Charter, or local constitution, for the November ballot. The public hearing will be part of the regular City Council meeting scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., and will be heard at 7 p.m. or soon thereafter.
The City of Costa Mesa conducted a similar public hearing process earlier this year before the City Council voted to place a charter—which transfers ultimate authority over municipal affairs from Sacramento to the local level—on the June 5 ballot. However, the City Clerk failed to meet a filing deadline established by state statute, and Orange County Registrar of Voters was unable to place the measure on the ballot.
A required second public hearing to consider the charter for the November ballot is scheduled for July 10, and the City Council will vote on whether to put the charter measure on the Nov. 6 ballot at a special Council meeting scheduled for July 31.
Next week, the City will have a “Charter” tab on its website that will link to the Costa Mesa charter approved by the City Council in March; a nonpartisan League of California Cities primer on charters; charters from other cities; a timeline for the process in Costa Mesa; and a list of the 120 California charter cities, which include Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, and Irvine. The home page will also have a “Weigh In on the Charter” button, providing an online form for charter comments that will be forwarded to Costa Mesa’s five council members, city attorney and chief executive officer.
Labels: Bill Lobdell, Charter City, Jim Righeimer