The current City Council’s recent violation of the Greenlight Initiative reveals their disdain for the democratic process. We need to elect people who are sincerely interested in our city and who will vote independently with the desires of their constituents in mind.
There are three very independent candidates running who will do this. They have developed ideas to make the City Council more responsive to those who have elected them. They are Nancy Scarborough, Jeff Herdman and Miles Patricola.
Two of them have histories of being very involved in city matters, and a third is entering the political arena for the first time.
Jeff Herdman has already served on the council where he proved that his prior experience as an educational leader prepared him for a leadership position in the city. In his previous service on the council, I knew I would always get a clear view of issues if I consulted with him. His speaking and writing skills are excellent, qualities that set him apart from some other council members past and present. Perhaps most importantly of all, he always tried to be available to his constituents.
During the last four years Herdman has been working diligently with SPON (Still Protecting our Newport) and the Newport Beach Arts Foundation boards. He also helped lead the successful campaign against Measure B. Between 2016 and 2020, Jeff represented District 5 on the City Council.
Herdman is so knowledgeable about the current council’s controversial plan to exceed the state’s requirement of adding 4,863 new homes by 50 percent that he has laid out specific plans to satisfy the requirement without exceeding the mandate of the state. He refutes the council’s current decision to amend the Land Use/Housing Element of the city’s General Plan without voter approval.
Like Jeff Herdman, Nancy Scarborough is a candidate whom I have known for several years and with whom I have shared concerns about our Newport Heights’ neighborhood. In addition to having been a close associate of Jean Watt, one of the most respected past leaders of the Newport Beach community, Scarborough has advocated for residents regarding airport noise, planning issues and traffic noise.
She even has a site NancyForNewport.com in which she discusses important issues such as one-night rentals, the lack of sufficient police patrol cars in Heights/Haven to enforce traffic laws, more sensible control of e-bikes, and state and Newport plans for high-density housing.
Scarborough also desires to work to limit future overly ambitious developers’ plans for Mariner’s Mile. She is independent and her low-key approach to problems makes it easy for her to work with others. She brings the best of both worlds to the City Council.
Several of my neighbors and I could not be more optimistic about the candidacy of a young man named Miles Patricola who would bring new vitality to a council which needs some idealistic approaches to old and new issues.
A local who was born in Laguna Beach and grew up in Newport Beach with a desire to enter public service, Miles is a product of local schools and Orange Coast College. He worked in his family’s famous local restaurant Rothschild’s, doing public relations for the restaurant as he grew older. He has also worked for non-profits.
Miles has a desire to go into politics as a career and likes to quote one of his local role models, Keith Curry, who has been known to say, “There is no Democratic or Republican Way to pave a road.”
Miles’ campaign focuses on local issues which are expressed in detail on his website MilesForNewport.com. Having worked in my profession with young adults, it is always inspiring to be around people with optimism toward the future. The Newport Beach City Council could definitely benefit from his involvement.
Lynn Lorenz / Newport Beach
