This past week, Irvine residents received their vote-by-mail ballot for the November 5th election. In the proud American tradition of local newspapers, Irvine Community News & Views (ICNV) endorses and urges support for those candidates for City office who have earned our community’s trust.
Accordingly, ICNV endorses Vice Mayor Larry Agran for Mayor of Irvine. Over the years, Agran has led the way or had a hand in just about every good thing in Irvine — open space preservation, an amazing community park system, and our award-winning senior and childcare centers. With Agran’s leadership, Irvine became one of our nation’s safest, smartest, greenest cities — and America’s most culturally diverse and thoroughly integrated city.
Since returning to the Council four years ago, Agran has continued to get good things done. Working alongside hundreds of North Irvine residents, he was able to successfully shut down the City’s largest industrial polluter. In its place, we’re now establishing a beautiful 700-acre nature preserve, all at no cost to Irvine taxpayers. Agran authored the ballot initiative (Measure D) passed by Irvine voters earlier this year to ensure every part of town is represented on the Council. He’s responsible for the City’s new urban forestation plan that will add 200,000 trees throughout Irvine to clean our air and cool our City. Agran is also working alongside residents to stop Councilmember Tammy Kim’s wild scheme to build massive warehouses near residential neighborhoods and cram 57,000 additional housing units into Irvine. (Agran’s campaign website: LarryAgran.com)
In City Council races, ICNV has endorsed candidates in two districts:
In District 1 — which includes Northpark, Orchard Hills, Eastwood, Stonegate, Northwood Pointe, and West Irvine — ICNV has endorsed Irvine Planning Commissioner Michelle Johnson, who drew the new Council district map that Irvine voters approved in March. Like Agran, Johnson wants to preserve the City’s Master Plan, fully fund our schools and public safety agencies, and accelerate construction of amenities at the Great Park. Her District 1 priorities include: implementation of a wildfire management & evacuation plan; construction of a Community Center; expand City-supported school bus services; and stop trash trucks traveling to the Bowerman Landfill from driving through Irvine neighborhoods. (Johnson’s website: Michelle4Irvine.com)
In District 3 — which includes Northwood, Walnut Village, El Camino Real, and a portion of Westpark — ICNV has endorsed Irvine Community Services Commissioner Tom Chomyn, who has lived in the district for 27 years and has a long record of community leadership. Chomyn wants to refurbish & expand Heritage Park Library; reinvest in the four big District 3 community parks; budget additional resources to keep our neighborhoods safe; and transform the Walnut Trail (along the railroad tracks) from an eyesore into an attractive pedestrian parkway by planting many hundreds of trees. (Chomyn’s website: Tom4Irvine.com)
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