Year: 2025
Betty Martinez Franco Joins the Irvine City Council
Betty Martinez Franco was sworn in as the Irvine City Council’s newest member on May 13th, and got a good taste of what she’s gotten herself into during the meeting that followed.
Martinez Franco addressed her new colleagues and the audience in the full Council Chamber, saying that she is very proud to be the first Latina and Mexican immigrant to be elected to the Council, but added, “I am not here to only represent one group or demographic. I am here for everyone.
She closed by saying, “I am ready to get to work, to collaborate with our Mayor and my fellow Councilmembers to build an Irvine where diversity is not just tolerated but celebrated, where equity is not just a promise but a practice, and where inclusion is not just a buzzword, it’s how we govern.”
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The New Irvine Public Library System
Public libraries play a vital role by providing free access to information, fostering literacy, supporting education and lifelong learning, and serving as community hubs for various activities and resources.
Last year, the Irvine City Council unanimously voted to transition library services from the Orange County Public Libraries (OCPL) and, instead, establish its own Irvine Public Library System.
The Council’s decision came down to finances and services offered to the City’s residents. Irvine taxpayers contribute roughly $17 million to OCPL annually. However, the libraries operated by OCPL in Irvine receive only $5 million annually in services. (Decades ago, the City established its own Irvine Police Department because of a similar funding imbalance.)
To read the full article, click here.
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Will the City Deliver On Its Promise to Build a Veterans Cemetery in Irvine?
The Great Park — which spans more than 1,300 acres — was home to the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station for nearly 60 years. The military air base served as a crucial training facility and the center of support for the operation and combat readiness of Fleet Forces in the Pacific.
When the air station was decommissioned and the land was transferred to the City to build the Great Park, a promise was made to preserve Irvine’s rich military history. In 2014, now-Mayor Larry Agran won unanimous support from his colleagues on the Irvine City Council to transform a small portion of the former military base — the 125-acre “ARDA” site on the northern edge of the park — into a Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery.
After 11 years of fights with developers, the City may finally deliver on its promise.
To read the full article, click here.
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