A few weeks ago, city council candidate Mike Glenn asked to meet with me and get my support for any campaign he might undertake for Newport Beach City Council.
We had a cordial meeting. Glenn shared with me his desire to have my support and work with Team Newport to reform city government. At the time he was still a Peninsula resident but expressed his commitment to move into and run in termed-out councilman Ed Selich’s district.
After meeting with both candidates, I decided to support Lee Lowrey for District 5. Lee is an impressive candidate with a conservative philosophy and a private sector resume with extensive financial experience.
Unexpectedly, councilman Tony Petros announced his retirement, creating another vacant seat. Glenn approached me again, this time soliciting my support for Petros’ seat. Glenn was still living on the Peninsula, so he explained to me that he’d have to quickly abandon his plan to move into Selich’s district, and instead rent an apartment in the West Newport district of Tony Petros.
Confused by his district hopping plans? You shouldn’t be. Mike Glenn craves public office, enough to potentially move twice in two weeks while shopping for a city council district.
Glenn decided to re-pack his trunk and rent a room on Balboa Island.
I understand Glenn’s ambition, but ambition should not be confused with opportunism. He should stop making misleading statements in the press about the Dock Tax, which he knows very little about. I dedicated three years of my life to unwinding the injustice of the Dock Tax. The effort led to sweeping out the old-guard and electing new blood.
Team Newport reduced the Dock Tax and protected the dock owners from City seizure of their docks. Glenn says they voted to “affirm” the dock tax and eroded propriety rights. That is simply not true. Team Newport strengthened property rights through the settlement of litigation we filed.
Glenn has said that Team Newport settled on a plan to get rid of the fire rings. Again, an untrue statement. Team Newport reversed the misguided policy of the prior council and returned two-thirds of the fire rings to wood burning, having to leave one-third as charcoal burning due to an AQMD rule.
As a result of Glenn’s statements, Newport businessman John Draper recently removed Glenn as his alternate to the OC Republican Party.
Bob McCaffrey
Balboa Island
