Election Season in Newport Beach has arrived, and with it comes the mud-slinging, discrediting, and judgement passed on newly arrived candidates as well as the incumbents.
Nowhere is this more true than in a recent Letter to the Editor that appeared in the August 30th Edition of the Newport Indy Newspaper about Councilman Jeff Herdman. As recent past president of the Balboa Island Improvement Association, I have had the direct experience of working with Jeff on a number of projects and all I know about Jeff are the facts, and here they are:
He gets the job done. No grass grows under his feet. You can expect an immediate response from him if asked to follow up, or get something done. He absolutely does not say one thing and then do another.
He is highly organized, professional, and always has the good of the organization and those it represents as his top priority. What is best for the organization (or in his case, The City) is the basis for every decision he makes.
On matters that come before the Council and require a vote, he is really good at checking in with his constituents for opinions which form the basis of his votes. Public comments area a very important part of his job.
Communication is perhaps his strongest leadership skill. He has published 59 blogs/ newsletters since taking office that serve to keep the over 1,000 subscribers well-informed on JWA Airport issues and mediation, Council action, and happenings in his district and throughout the City. He holds regular Town Hall Meetings, and is a speaker at a variety of HOA meetings within his district.
His reorganization and repurposing of the City’s Aviation Committee has added meaning to its work, and has drawn in experts in the field of aviation from throughout the community. Jeff, along with community groups and City staff, are leading efforts to address quality of life issues resulting from JWA. I am sure the work currently going on with the FAA, the airport, airlines, and the Orange County Board of Supervisors will result in the best possible outcomes.
There is no discord between the community and Councilman Herdman. What you have in Jeff is probably best said by his Council colleague, Joy Brenner, in a recent Facebook post where she says, “Both Diane Dixon and I support Jeff because he works full-time and more on City business, as do we.”
I can certainly attest to that work ethic that Jeff continually displays.
His level of commitment and dedication to his responsibilities as a city councilman has earned him the privilege of being re-elected for another four year term.
Jack Callahan / Newport Beach
