Westminster Ca Elections

Voters will decide Nov. 6 whether one of the winning candidates in the 1992 City Council election should serve two years in office instead of four so that council terms can be evened out. In the latest round of a two-month controversy, the council voted 4 to 1 this week to place an ordinance on the ballot that would designate a specific council seat in the 1992 general election as a two-year seat.

A Vietnamese American took an early lead in the Garden Grove City Council race Tuesday night, signaling a possible first for the city. "The Asian American community is a sizable and active community and it wants to be active in the democratic process," said Van Tran, a planning commissioner, who led eight candidates according to early returns. In nearby Westminster, however, a record three Vietnamese Americans seeking seats on the council were trailing in early balloting.

The cultural barrier keeping Vietnamese Americans politically insular may be crumbling, experts say, now that four such candidates--a record number--are seeking city council seats at one time in Orange County fall elections. Even if they don't win, the decision by this many former Vietnamese immigrants to seek public office reflects growing confidence and maturity in a community forged by wartime and political exiles, the experts say.

The cultural barrier keeping Vietnamese Americans politically insular may be crumbling, experts say, now that four such candidates--a record number--are seeking city council seats at one time in Orange County fall elections. Even if they don't win, the decision by this many former Vietnamese immigrants to seek public office reflects growing confidence and maturity in a community forged by wartime and political exiles, the experts say.

Longtime City Councilman Frank Fry Jr. this week became the first candidate to submit the necessary paperwork to run for mayor in November. Councilwoman Charmayne S. Bohman also has declared her intention to seek the mayor's seat, which is being vacated by Charles V. Smith. Smith, who was first elected to the council in 1984, is now in a runoff campaign for a county supervisor seat and cannot run again for city mayor. He has endorsed Bohman for the job.

A special election Feb. 25 will determine whether the city should switch from general law to charter status, a move that officials said would give the local government more autonomy from the state. Most cities are general law cities, governed by state law, while charter cities have greater autonomy through locally created laws.

Dist. Atty. Michael R. Capizzi has thrown his support behind Mayor Charles V. Smith and three council members facing a recall election Tuesday, arguing that they have been strong supporters of public safety measures. At the same time, Capizzi has castigated city firefighters, who are behind the recall effort, for engaging in payroll practices that he described as neither in the best interest of the city nor morally defensible.

A proposal to ask voters in November whether the city should contract for fire services with the Orange County Fire Department got nowhere with the City Council this week. Council members discussed the proposal Tuesday but did not take a vote, effectively killing Councilman Craig Schweisinger's suggestion to let voters decide if the city's Fire Department should be phased out. Schweisinger said that residents have urged the city to contract with the county to save money.

In his second term, Councilman Tony Lam appears to have mastered the key to American politics: building a war chest. The first Vietnamese American to win an elective office in the nation, Lam has become a prolific political fund-raiser, according to the latest campaign statements provided by the city clerk's office. From July 1 to Sept. 30, Lam raised more than $25,000, far outstripping the combined amount raised by the other candidates for the council.

Mayor Charles V. Smith says his win in Tuesday's election shows that the city is happy with his performance. He says he plans to continue to expand upon his current city programs. "I feel good about it," said Smith, who has been on the council since 1984 and mayor since 1988. "It's a reaffirmation that the stances I've taken, the programs I've implemented, such as the anti-crime and anti-drug programs, the people want continued and expanded on."

A Newport Beach man has failed in his third attempt to recall the City Council and Mayor Frank Fry. The recall effort by Long Kim Pham, an engineer and one-time congressional candidate, was thwarted because he did not fulfill the formal requirements of publicizing the petition he filed on June 22. Two previous attempts also failed on procedural grounds.

By a nearly 2-to-1 ratio, voters defeated a ballot measure this week that would have converted the city's government from general law to charter. City Clerk Mary Lou Morey said that 4,236 residents--about 11.5% of the city's registered voters--cast ballots Tuesday. The final tally was 1,486 votes in favor of the charter and 2,732 against, Morey said. City officials and elected leaders had hoped to begin operating under a charter, saying it would provide more independence from the state.

A special election Feb. 25 will determine whether the city should switch from general law to charter status, a move that officials said would give the local government more autonomy from the state. Most cities are general law cities, governed by state law, while charter cities have greater autonomy through locally created laws.

A controversial plan to privatize the city's water system has become a leading point of debate among contenders for the mayor's seat and two open City Council positions in the Nov. 5 elections. The nine candidates agree that the city's water system is in bad shape--it needs at least $20 million worth of repairs and is currently $10 million in debt.

Longtime City Councilman Frank Fry Jr. this week became the first candidate to submit the necessary paperwork to run for mayor in November. Councilwoman Charmayne S. Bohman also has declared her intention to seek the mayor's seat, which is being vacated by Charles V. Smith. Smith, who was first elected to the council in 1984, is now in a runoff campaign for a county supervisor seat and cannot run again for city mayor. He has endorsed Bohman for the job.

City councilwoman-elect Margie L. Rice says she will work to repeal a 5% utility tax imposed in 1986 and seek to lower water rates when she joins the council. After two previous unsuccessful attempts, Rice, 65, emerged the top vote-getter among the three candidates who vied for two seats on the council in last week's election. "The taxpayers should have a relief," said Rice, who used the repeal of the utility tax as the main issue of her campaign. "It's been there for years.

The Westminster Commission on Aging and the Westminster Senior Center will host a public forum for City Council candidates Wednesday at 10 a.m. in the Community Services Building. Twelve of the 14 candidates will attend: mayoral candidates Regina Hardin and incumbents Charles V. Smith and Joy L.

Residents who circulated petitions to create districts for City Council elections have failed to get enough signatures. The county registrar of voters found that 684 of the 4,196 signatures collected to place the initiative on the Nov. 6 ballot were invalid or duplications, City Clerk Mary Lou Morey said. The group, called the Non-Partisan Alliance for District Representation, began its petition drive in June.

In his second term, Councilman Tony Lam appears to have mastered the key to American politics: building a war chest. The first Vietnamese American to win an elective office in the nation, Lam has become a prolific political fund-raiser, according to the latest campaign statements provided by the city clerk's office. From July 1 to Sept. 30, Lam raised more than $25,000, far outstripping the combined amount raised by the other candidates for the council.