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Publisher’s Perspective: Councilmember Treseder’s Attacks on Local Democracy

Politicians often run for office promising transparency and a commitment to democratic principles. However, once in office, some elected officials ignore their campaign promises and act in ways that subvert rather than support their constituents.

Irvine City Councilmember Kathleen Treseder has become one of those politicians.

Treseder ran for Irvine City Council in 2022, promising “transparency and accountability.” She’s running for re-election this year, making those same promises. However, a review of her record shows that Councilmember Treseder has actively worked to deny Irvine voters their democratic right to weigh-in on critical matters.

Irvine’s Award-Winning Parks

In 1971, Irvine officially became a city. Three years later, Irvine’s first residents passed a major park bond issue to begin building community parks, a crucial step in establishing the Irvine Master Plan.

This foundational bond supported the development of the City’s park system, which now includes 22 community parks and more than 40 neighborhood parks.

In its latest Park Score Index, the Trust for Public Land ranked Irvine’s park system as the best in California and the second best park system in the entire nation.

An impressive 28% of Irvine’s land is dedicated to parks and green spaces — nearly double the national average. And 96% of Irvine residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.

City of Irvine Introduces Two Community Tree-Planting Programs

Arbor Day is a celebration of trees and the vital role they play in our world. Held on the last Friday in April, it stands apart from most holidays — rooted in hope for the future rather than remembrance of the past.

The simple act of planting a tree represents a belief that the tree will grow to provide us with clean air, cooling shade, habitat for wildlife, healthier communities, and endless natural beauty — all for a better tomorrow.

In recognition of Arbor Day, the City of Irvine has introduced two initiatives aimed at engaging the community in expanding and enhancing Irvine’s urban forest.

Mayor Agran Spotlights Irvine’s Kindness

Since taking office, Mayor Agran has made it a point to publicly thank and spotlight Irvine-based non-profits, community programs, and the City’s churches, synagogues, and mosques for the work they do to promote kindness in our community.

He has also thanked the Irvine business community for encouraging employees to volunteer for local community service projects.

The Mayor recently connected volunteerism to kindness: “One of the things I value most about Irvine is our shared commitment to helping our neighbors and our community through volunteerism — whether it’s making deliveries for the Meals on Wheels program, leading hikes in the Irvine Open Space Preserve, caring for pets at the Irvine Animal Care Center, or joining the City’s Community Emergency Response Team.”

Great Park Soccer Stadium Selected for U.S. Men’s Team World Cup Training Base Camp

The City of Irvine has announced that the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team has selected the Great...

Bosque Trail Gets Some Much-Needed Greenery & Shade

The Bosque area in the Great Park features 1.8 miles of decomposed granite pedestrian trails that are 4-6 feet wide, as well as an 11-foot-wide concrete multi-use trail and bike path. These popular trails run along Bosque street, from Magnet (north of Great Park Boulevard) to Irvine Boulevard, linking residents to more than 53 acres of native landscape.

To enhance year-round trail aesthetics and provide much-needed shade, the City recently planted 86 trees and 6,000 shrubs along the Bosque Trail between Cadence and Benchmark.

Additional improvements to the Bosque area — scheduled to be completed later this year — include a community playground, pickleball courts, and greater connectivity among the trails.

New Transportation Program for Irvine Seniors

More than a year before New York City made news for a plan to no longer charge residents for riding the bus, Irvine established its own program that provides residents with free transportation to parks, schools, hospitals, and shopping centers through the Irvine CONNECT shuttle bus service.

The Irvine CONNECT program has proven to be especially helpful for students traveling to and from school and for residents who want to leave their cars at home while running errands around town.

The City is now launching a new transportation program for Irvine seniors 60 years of age and older with its WeRide program, which is a same-day, on-demand transportation service powered by volunteer drivers.

Irvine is Among the Top 10 Healthiest & Happiest Cities in America

The data analysis company Niche compared 203 of the most populated U.S. communities across key indicators of good health to determine which cities prioritize residents’ well-being. Irvine earned the No. 5 spot in the study, indicating that our City’s residents are among the healthiest in America.

Irvine is also ranked among the happiest cities in the entire nation. An impressive 88% of Irvine adults report good health, and nearly 84% stay active with regular physical activities. Irvine has the seventh-highest life expectancy in America, the second-lowest divorce rate, the third-lowest rate of poor mental health days, and the eighth-lowest depression rate in the entire nation.

Publisher’s Perspective: Three Councilmembers Spend Millions While Attacking City Staff for a Budget Overage

Irvine City Manager Sean Crumby recently reported that economic instability nationwide has led to rising costs locally. Those rising costs, coupled with new Council programs, have resulted in a projected $6 million budget overage.

Councilmembers Kathleen Treseder, James Mai, and William Go spent nearly an hour publicly attacking Mr. Crumby and City staff for the overage.

These are the same three Councilmembers who have kept us stuck in the costly Orange County Power Authority (OCPA). In the last four years — including projections through the end of calendar year 2026 — OCPA has cost our City government and Irvine’s electricity customers (both residents and businesses) nearly $100 million in overcharges.

Irvine’s Impressive Environmental Leadership

As we approach Earth Day on April 22nd, it seems appropriate to take a look back at Irvine’s impressive environmental leadership and see what’s next for our remarkably “green” City.

Today Irvine has the second-best park system in America, and our community is recognized as the fourth-greenest city in the entire nation. An impressive 28% of Irvine’s land is dedicated to beautiful parks and green spaces, which is nearly double the national average. And 96% of Irvine residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.

Like most good things in Irvine, none of these accomplishments happened by accident. Irvine has been fortunate to have been led by a number of environmental champions.

Irvine is America’s Safest Big City

During his State of the City address, Mayor Larry Agran said: “Here at Irvine City Hall, we never forget that the foremost responsibility of local government is to keep people safe. So, I begin with good news to report. For yet another year — the 21st year in a row — according to FBI statistics on violent crime in major cities, Irvine has been ranked as the Safest Big City in America!”

The Mayor also reported that violent crime in Irvine dropped by 5% and property crime fell by 16% last year.

Mayor Agran thanked the City’s public safety officers: “On behalf of a grateful Irvine community, I want to take this moment to thank Chief Michael Kent and our entire Irvine Police Department for yet another year of outstanding work!”

OCPA Charges Higher Monthly Electricity Rates for Dirtier Energy

In 2022, Irvine’s electricity customers were automatically enrolled in the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA).

Since that time, Irvine City Councilmember Kathleen Treseder, who is Irvine’s representative on the OCPA board, has continued to mislead the City’s electricity customers by falsely claiming that OCPA charges lower monthly rates and provides more renewable energy than Southern California Edison (SCE).

According to OCPA’s own website, Irvine electricity customers enrolled in OCPA are being charged about $20/month more than SCE charges it customers. And OCPA’s state-mandated reports show that 75% of OCPA’s Basic Choice tier — the energy tier Irvine customers are enrolled in — is nearly twice as dirty as SCE’s default tier.

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Category: Irvine

Publisher’s Perspective: Councilmember Treseder’s Attacks on Local Democracy

Irvine’s Award-Winning Parks

City of Irvine Introduces Two Community Tree-Planting Programs

Mayor Agran Spotlights Irvine’s Kindness

Great Park Soccer Stadium Selected for U.S. Men’s Team World Cup Training Base Camp

Bosque Trail Gets Some Much-Needed Greenery & Shade

Publisher’s Perspective: Three Councilmembers Spend Millions While Attacking City Staff for a Budget Overage

Irvine’s Impressive Environmental Leadership

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