Latest news with #HuntingtonBeachCityCouncil
Los Angeles Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Huntington Beach Councilmember Gracey Van Der Mark announces state Assembly bid
Gracey Van Der Mark is perhaps the one Huntington Beach City Council member who has most embodied the beach city's battles with state leadership in Sacramento. Now, she will be running for a state position herself. Van Der Mark has tossed her hat into the 2026 race for the state Assembly District 72 seat currently held by Diane Dixon. The district includes the Orange County cities of Aliso Viejo, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Lake Forest and Newport Beach. Dixon, who like Van Der Mark is a Republican, is in her second term. She announced recently that next year she will be challenging incumbent Democrat Katrina Foley for her position as the Orange County Supervisor representing the 5th District, leaving the Assembly seat up for grabs. Following unsuccessful bids for the Ocean View School District Board of Trustees in 2018 and the Huntington Beach City Council in 2020, Van Der Mark was elected in 2022 along with fellow Republicans Pat Burns (the current mayor), Mayor Pro Tem Casey McKeon and Tony Strickland. When fellow conservatives Chad Williams, Butch Twining and Don Kennedy also were elected last November, some started calling the council the 'MAGA-nificent Seven.' Strickland left for higher office earlier this year, after having a successful run for the vacant state Senate District 36 seat. His seat on the council is now filled by celebrity chef Andrew Gruel. 'I've always said I will go wherever I'm needed,' Van Der Mark, who served as the city's first Latina mayor last year, said in an interview Monday. 'This is a situation where we need a strong conservative voice for the state Assembly. We'll be losing another Republican in Diane Dixon ... and I expect to continue that legacy. It's a risk, but it's worth it. As long as we're fighting to continue to make our state stronger, it's a risk worth taking.' Van Der Mark added that she wants to bring common sense government back to Sacramento, citing often debated policies in Huntington Beach such as voter ID, displaying only government and military flags on government property and a Parents' Right to Know ordinance. Surf City voters approved the first two issues with Measures A and B last year, though state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta has continued to fight the city's voter ID law in appellate court. 'I believe parents deserve more accountability in our kids' education, in their lives and decision-making,' Van Der Mark said. 'I'm definitely a strong believer in local control, and those are the things I would like to fight for up in Sacramento.' She has also been front and center in the battle over the city's public library. Measure A, which would repeal a parent/guardian review board approved by Van Der Mark and her colleagues, is up for special election June 10 along with Measure B. The latter measure requires voter approval before outsourcing of library operations.
Los Angeles Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
H.B. deputy city manager resigns to work for former mayor Tony Strickland
Jennifer Carey isn't necessarily leaving Huntington Beach, just moving down the street. The city's deputy city manager is resigning from that post to accept a job as chief of staff for Republican state Sen. Tony Strickland, who represents District 36. Carey said she did not know Strickland prior to his election to the Huntington Beach City Council in 2022, but that changed when he was mayor the following year. 'I had the opportunity to work very closely with him his first year here in Huntington Beach, and we built a really great relationship quickly,' she said. 'Because of that partnership that we had early on, I am really looking forward to doing a lot more with Tony. I have a lot of faith and trust in his leadership.' Carey, who holds a bachelor's degree in political science and master's degree in communication from Arizona State University, began working for her hometown in 2021 as the public information officer for the Huntington Beach Police Department. In January 2022, she was promoted to public affairs manager, and served as acting deputy manager for six months last year before being named to the role in January. Carey, 39, said her final day with the city will be Tuesday, and she will begin working for Strickland a week later. She will be based at his Huntington Beach district office. 'It was a difficult decision to leave, but I know that I made the right choice going with Senator Strickland's office,' she said. 'It isn't fully leaving Huntington Beach, it's being able to serve in a different capacity.' Strickland resigned from the City Council earlier this year and won a special election in District 36, which includes most of coastal Orange County as well as the Los Angeles County cities of Artesia, Cerritos and Hawaiian Gardens. He avoided a runoff election by receiving more than 50% of the votes in the primary election. Strickland said in a statement that he was happy to have Carey on board. 'We are lucky to have Jen join our team,' he said. 'She is extremely talented and will serve the people of Senate 36th District well. During my time on the City Council, Jen was a fantastic employee for the city of Huntington Beach, as I had the opportunity to experience firsthand her leadership when we worked together to improve the city.' Carey said Huntington Beach is in the process of onboarding a new city spokesperson in the coming weeks.
Los Angeles Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Mailbag: Beware of the ‘wolves in sheep's clothing'
If you are a Huntington Beach resident who believes in unrestricted access to knowledge and protecting your freedom to make decisions for your own family, then vote 'yes' on Measure A to repeal the ordinance creating a children's book review board, and 'yes' on Measure B to ensure that any future efforts to outsource library operations to for-profit companies will require voter approval and a majority vote from City Council. This is a critical safeguard to maintain public oversight and the integrity of community libraries. The City Council believes that a 21-person politically appointed, children's book review board is more qualified than you to choose appropriate reading materials for your children. They are not. Accusations that there are 'pornographic' materials in the children's library section have served to divide the community and undermine public opinion about libraries, librarians and their supporters. The mayor handed out images from what they believe to be inappropriate library materials from a booth at this year's Easter celebration. Every accusation is a confession. These people are wolves in sheep's clothing. Do not let them deceive you. The review board, whose decisions are unappealable, has the authority to decide which materials belong in the library based on 'community standards' that have not yet been defined. Materials that enter or remain in the children's book section could eventually align with the review boards' political and religious beliefs. Will no votes ultimately enable indoctrination of young minds under the guise of 'protecting children?' Whatever happened with that MAGA commemorative library plaque? Is this nuclear 'attack on porn' simply helping City Council complete a MAGA agenda item designed to stifle 1st Amendment rights at taxpayer expense? A 'no' vote for either measure is a slippery slope toward government control of thought and information. Vote 'yes' on Measure A to protect parents' rights to maintain control of what their OWN children read, and 'yes' on Measure B to help ensure public libraries stay free and open to everyone. Judy MorrisHuntington Beach Monday I attended my first Huntington Beach City Council meeting, appropriately at the city library. It was quite an eye-opener, as more than 90 people signed up to address the council at the podium regarding Measures A and B. In a nutshell, a 'no' vote advocates for increasing the council's authority in deciding what books to have reviewed by the peer review board within the children's section, and to privatize the library altogether. Once upon a time such notions would only appear in dystopian novels or movies such as Ray Bradbury's 'Fahrenheit 451' or George Orwell's '1984.' Yes, interesting ideas to conjecture and be entertained by, but surely not something that could really happen here. Do we not live within a democracy with constitutional rights guaranteeing freedom for the people to make their own choices regarding what to write, speak and read? The irony is that not that long ago, these values were most adamantly defended by American conservatives, the same people who bore a flag with a coiled snake emblazoned on the cloth, and the warning, 'Don't tread on me.' Do the advocates against Measures A and B, most of whom identify as conservatives, simply not know what they are doing? Ron TerranovaHuntington Beach As a former Orange County 'Teacher of the Year,' I taught for 40 years, addressing my school board many times. I advocated for school nurses, librarians and lower class sizes. I hoped my school board understood the reality of transmitting a crowded curriculum to more than 30 students every day, all day. In January 2025, Newport-Mesa School Board had the luxury of picking a qualified new board member and they looked forward to working with her. On merit, they selected Kirstin Walsh who has children in NMUSD, has volunteered in the schools for 13 years, is PTA President at Newport Harbor High, has held offices at the elementary and intermediate school PTAs. After carefully vetting four candidates, board members added Walsh to their ranks. DONE! Now, let's get to work, solving school problems. I'm sorry to say that members of our community collected signatures, forcing an election for NMUSD School Board, thus taking about $500,000 from Newport-Mesa's school budget. Their candidate was on the original list of those considered for the school board position, but was not selected. Walsh is the kind of board member I want on the dais when I speak. Parent volunteers, like Walsh, who spend years in our school halls and classrooms, understand the challenges and strengths of school life. I am saddened by the loss of half-a-million dollars from our slim school budget, used to fund an unnecessary election. I hope voters will make it right, and ensure that Kirstin Walsh continues in the position for which she was chosen, on merit. Carrie Luger SlaybackNewport Beach As the June 10 NMUSD Area 5 Special Election approaches, the saying, 'You are the company you keep,' rings true. Claims that Kirstin Walsh, Andrea McElroy's opponent, is a conservative or a non-partisan, don't align with her affiliations. In 2023, NMUSD's progressive majority voted to block schools from notifying parents about their child's gender dysphoria, risking student well-being. Conservative trustees, prioritizing safety, supported notification, but the majority prevailed. School board votes-on academics, safety and fiscal management reflect trustees' values, and the 2023 decision clearly revealed the progressive majority's values. Andrea McElroy champions parental rights and transparency. Walsh claims non-partisanship, yet her Instagram shows her campaigning with Democrats Carol Crane, Ashley Anderson (NMUSD Trustee) and Katrina Foley, vice chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Her campaign is heavily funded by the teacher's union, which endorsed Kamala Harris and the Women in Leadership PAC who advocate for 'leading the fight against conservatives.' This does not reflect conservative values. This election demands leadership for quality education and parental involvement. Walsh's 'non-partisan' label masks her affiliations. Voters deserve transparency. I'm voting for Andrea McElroy, whose values I trust. Lisa Ruggieri HinesNewport Beach As 17-year Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) Area 5 residents and parents, we've raised our children in Newport Beach, where they've thrived in our public schools. Area 5 has long elected conservative trustees who prioritize fiscal responsibility, parental rights and transparency. Taxpayers deserve a voice in this special election and we're voting for Andrea McElroy. Andrea, a business owner and mother, brings proven fiscal accountability and champions parental rights, demanding transparency between families and schools. She and her husband actively serve our community, earning trust from neighbors, educators and leaders like Newport Beach Mayor Joe Stapleton. Her platform supports every child's unique path — arts, CTE, college — ensuring success in a safe, high-quality environment. Andrea, endorsed by the Orange County Republican Party and local police and fire associations, aligns with Area 5's conservative values. On June 10, vote Andrea McElroy — the only conservative in this election. She's a principled leader who will stand for our children and represent our community's values. Kate and Logan MaloufNewport Beach
Los Angeles Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Huntington Beach City Council, claiming library nonprofit misused funds, launches investigation
Huntington Beach City Councilmember Chad Williams had a Bible verse, Matthew 18:6, attached to his laptop on the dais at Tuesday night's meeting. 'If anyone causes one of these little ones — those who believe in me — to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea,' reads the verse. This imagery perhaps set the stage for an electrically charged meeting in the Central Library's theater. The political heat continues to rise in Surf City with the approach of the June 10 special election, when voters will be asked to weigh in on two initiatives related to the local public library. Measure A would repeal a children's book review board populated by appointees of the council while Measure B would require voter approval before the city outsources the library's management. More than 100 people gave public comments Tuesday, two weeks after a political action committee formed by Williams put large signs containing the word 'porn' up around town, urging Huntington Beach residents to vote 'No' on both measures. An audience member, bottom left, makes the first public comment during a raucous and vocal Huntington Beach City Council meeting on Tuesday. Now, Williams is seeking an investigation into the nonprofit Friends of the Huntington Beach Public Library, alleging a possible misuse of funds. The council unanimously voted 6-0 to pass the agenda item, brought forward by Williams, Mayor Pat Burns and Councilmember Butch Twining, and launch an investigation. The IRS website states a nonprofit may not make a contribution to a political organization, such as a candidate committee, political party committee or PAC. Williams' suspicions concern more than $23,000 total that Friends of the Library gave to the Citizens for Good Governance PAC on four different occasions last year. Citizens for Good Governance then gave $10,000 to the Our Library Matters committee, seeking a 'yes' vote on Measures A and B, earlier this year. An audience member holds up a sex education book during a raucous and vocal Huntington Beach City Council meeting on Tuesday. The item asks the mayor to work with City Atty. Mike Vigliotta to file complaints on behalf of the City Council with the state Fair Political Practice Commission and the IRS. In a statement, Martha Elliott, president of Friends of the Library called the allegations 'false, misleading and baseless.' 'These false allegations are a political stunt intended to distract from the fact that the overwhelming majority of Huntington Beach residents want our beloved library — one of the finest in the country — to remain public, free of government censorship, and a civic resource available to all city residents and families,' Elliott said. 'Since 1971, Friends — a 501(c)(3) organization that is non-partisan and pro-library — has, through our many community members and volunteers, donated millions of dollars to support our Library. Despite the City Council's unfortunate and false attacks, Friends remains committed to our mission of supporting our library for the benefit of our entire Huntington Beach community.' Huntington Beach resident Cathey Ryder, a co-founder of Protect Huntington Beach and proponent of the library petition that eventually became Measure A, formed Citizens for Good Governance in 2022 to oppose three earlier ballot measures. Citizens for Good Governance then changed to a general purpose committee. Mayor Pat Burns, City Atty. Mike Vigliotta, and Councilwoman Gracey Van Der Mark, from left, confer during the Huntington Beach City Council meeting on Tuesday. Ryder said in an interview after Tuesday night's council meeting that she welcomed the investigation. 'You have to remember that during the time period when there was all of those donations, all of those odd figures, that was when we were printing the ballot petitions,' she said. 'Citizens for Good Governance was having everything printed, with the agreement that we would split the printing costs. 'It was actually reimbursement for services. It wasn't a donation to Citizens for Good Governance ... I think they're going to discover that there's been no wrongdoing.' Audience members hold up 'tell the truth' signs during Tuesday's Huntington Beach City Council meeting. Burns gave each public speaker Tuesday one minute to speak, telling some of them to address the council as a whole rather than individual members. Slightly more than half of them supported the ballot measures. Many of the speakers against the ballot measures read from books containing what they considered explicit material, which they said was available in the library. The meeting also contained comments from Karen England, a Tennessee-based conservative activist whose website advertises a toolkit 'to successfully find and challenge pornography in your local public schools' libraries.' Audience members line-up for public comments during Tuesday's Huntington Beach City Council meeting. 'There is never a justifiable reason to expose children to pornography, erotic materials, or sexually explicit content, especially behind the backs of their parents,' she said. 'History is not kind to those who blur the lines between education and exploitation.' Other public speakers, including Sue Kingman, continued to object to the use of the word 'pornography' in the rhetoric. 'I'm asking the council to just leave the library alone,' Kingman said. 'Don't plaster it with a MAGA plaque, don't sell it to the highest bidder and don't attempt to undermine the expertise of librarians. And leave Friends of the Library alone, too. If you're really worried about campaign violations of IRS law, maybe you shouldn't be peddling your political views as a pastor and telling people how to vote during church.' Williams is a youth pastor at Calvary Chapel of the Harbour, a church in Huntington Harbour. During Sunday's service there, Williams, Burns and Councilmember Gracey Van Der Mark, along with England, discussed the impending special election at length. Members of the City Council listen to public comments on Tuesday night. Williams said in an interview Wednesday that he saw nothing wrong with that, even as detractors mentioned the Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment. The Johnson Amendment, established in 1954, changed tax code to prohibit nonprofits from participating in campaigns for a candidate for public office, but Republican lawmakers are trying to remove it. In 2017, President Trump signed an executive order seeking to make it easier for churches to participate in politics. Williams said that a church was never prohibited from lobbying on behalf of a ballot measure. 'Jesus tells us to be the light of the world, but he also reminds us that when you are light, everyone who practices evil hates that light,' he said. 'There's people out there that hate God, they hate the Bible and they hate Christians, period. They're entitled to their opinion, and Christians are entitled to practice their religion, and that religion is that they have been commissioned to go to all the world and speak the truth.' A full audience attends Tuesday's Huntington Beach City Council meeting. Longtime Ocean View School District Board of Trustees member Gina Clayton-Tarvin pushed back against Williams' agenda item. In an email to city clerk Lisa-Lane Barnes, she alleged that Williams was violating rules himself by running two separate political action committees, 'Chad Williams for City Council 2024' and 'Protect our Children with Councilman Chad Williams, Vote No on A & B.' Section 2.07.080 of the city's municipal code states that a city officer shall have no more than one campaign committee. 'This is a flagrant abuse of power by Mr. Williams and it must not be allowed to continue,' Clayton-Tarvin wrote in an email, which included its own Bible verse, John 8:7: 'Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.' Williams said Wednesday that he had talked to lawyers who told him that 'campaign committee' in the code did not apply to his PAC.
Los Angeles Times
24-04-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Former Huntington Beach Mayor Shirley Dettloff honored at Shipley Nature Center
Donald Shipley and Shirley Dettloff may have served as mayors of Huntington Beach about three decades apart, but each played key roles in preserving the space now known as the Shipley Nature Center. Shipley, the center's namesake, wanted a place to reflect on what California was like 100 years ago when he served on the Huntington Beach City Council in the 1960s and '70s. Shipley Nature Center opened in 1974, but closed in 2002 due to budget cuts. That's when Dettloff, fresh off serving on City Council, summoned others interested in preserving the nature center. The group, which became the nonprofit Friends of Shipley Nature Center, helped reopen the 18-acre space to the public. Dettloff, who died in April 2024 at the age of 89, was honored Wednesday at the very space she fought so hard to preserve. A year to the day after her passing, the city held a ceremony to name the interpretive center there as the Shirley Dettloff Interpretive Center. 'She has received a lot of honors … but this one would be special to her,' said Dettloff's husband, Bob. 'I remember on a Sunday morning, she'd say, 'Oh, I've got to go down and open up Shipley.' Or, 'I've got to go down and close Shipley.' That was how deep she was involved.' Dettloff's work at the Shipley Nature Center was just part of her environmental legacy. She was a founding member and executive director of the Amigos de Bolsa Chica conservation group, staying on that board of directors until she died. She also served on the California Coastal Commission. Former Huntington Beach Mayor Victor Leipzig, who spoke at Wednesday's ceremony, remembers serving with Dettloff on the Huntington Beach Planning Commission in the late 1980s. He got a call from her on a February morning in 1990, after the American Trader oil tanker spilled nearly 417,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean off the city's shore. Leipzig and Dettloff raced down to the beach, becoming the coordinators for the volunteer response program. 'We were not allowed to clean the beaches,' Leipzig said. 'But we were allowed to gather bird life that was injured by the oil spill and bring it to the fledgling rehab center that later became the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center of Huntington Beach, one of the most important wildlife response centers in Southern California.' Leipzig said Dettloff touched the lives of every Surf City resident with her contributions to preserving the environment. Friends of Shipley Nature Center President John Scandura and past president Kay Goddard also gave remarks at Wednesday's ceremony, as did former Huntington Beach director of community and library services Chris Slama, former council member Natalie Moser and Mayor Pat Burns. Moser, who considered Dettloff a mentor, started tearing up when saying she missed Dettloff's voice in her ear, and in the community. 'It wasn't about her, it was always about community,' Moser said. 'She didn't seek headlines, yet she commanded respect.' Dettloff and fellow former Mayor Ralph Bauer helped form the city's Declaration of Policy on Human Dignity in 1996, along with the city's former police chief, Ron Lowenberg and city staff. The policy was created after the 1994 murder of a Black man and the 1996 attempted murder of a Native American, both crimes committed in Huntington Beach by white supremacists. Two years ago, Dettloff spoke out during public comments before the conservative City Council majority, including Burns, which voted to significantly shorten and alter the policy. The new policy took out any references to hate incidents and hate crimes and added language about genetic differences between males and females. Burns said at Wednesday's ceremony that he and his kids spent a lot of time at the nature center. 'We agreed on some things,' he said of his relationship with Dettloff. 'Probably disagreed on much more, but we always got along, I felt. I respected the difference of opinions … [but the center] is one area we agreed [on] profoundly.' Scandura said the center hopes to replace the 50-year-old interpretive center building some day with a state-of-the-art facility including educational areas, interactive exhibits, meeting rooms and a small theater. However, the new building would still bear Dettloff's name. Shipley Nature Center will hold a 'Community in Bloom' 50th anniversary event on May 16, from 4 to 7 p.m.
