On Tuesday night, the City Council has a pretty simple question to answer. Do they trust voters to make a decision about electing the Mayor?
Only the voters can change the Charter. Only voters can choose whether they want to elect their Mayor. And so it’s time for the same people who rely on voters to occupy their positions on the City Council to trust the voters again with this important decision.
Without question, we want to Elect Our Mayor. Many people agree with that basic statement and agree that the system proposed makes a whole lot of sense.
Some people have disagreed with that basic statement. But we won’t know how many are on either side without an election.
No one on the City Council could possibly speak for the “community” by voting against giving the community the choice.
In an era when governments across the board are taking away choices, Newport Beach’s City Council can be the light shining through as one that gives its residents the ability to take the power of electing the Mayor back.
We encourage the City Council to support voter choice by placing the Elect Our Mayor imitative on the ballot.
Michelle and John Somers / Newport Beach
