Cities’ leaders back school bond

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- If Newport Beach and Costa Mesa city council members are

truly representative of their constituents, Measure A should reach the

required two-thirds voter approval.

Although neither council has taken an official position on the proposed

$110-million school bond scheduled for a vote next week, eight of 12

elected city officials gave Measure A their wholehearted approval.

The remaining four council members could not be reached for comment

Wednesday.

“I very much am in favor of it,” said Costa Mesa Councilwoman Libby

Cowan. “I think it’s important that we pay attention to our

infrastructure and rebuild some of our schools. And I think safeguards

are in place to ensure proper spending and allocation of those funds.”

Two of Cowan’s fellow council members, Joe Erickson and Heather Somers,

have also come out in support of Measure A, which proposes to repair all

29 of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s crumbling schools.

“My feeling is the only way we’re going to get our schools straightened

out is to take a straightforward tact and not rely on the state or anyone

else,” Somers said.

Erickson said he reviewed the school facilities and found them in various

states of disrepair. His sense of civic duty told him he needed to

shoulder the burden of fixing the campuses.

“They were built with bond money years ago and now I think it’s my

generation’s turn to step up,” Erickson said. “My generation was not part

of the generation who built those schools, so I think it’s important that

we rebuild them and provide a safe environment for our children.”

Newport Beach council members also said they are in favor of the measure

that, if passed, will raise property taxes in their city.

“I support Measure A,” said Newport Beach Mayor John Noyes. “I guess

because it seems like the only thing we get to vote on [in terms of

taxes] are the things close to us. I think if most people stop to think

about it, it benefits our children in our neighborhoods.”

Also planning to vote “yes” Tuesday are Newport Beach council members

Dennis O’Neil, Jan Debay, Tod Ridgeway and Tom Thomson.

“I am in full support of it,” Debay said. “I have had two kids graduate

from Newport schools and I think it was the best investment.”

The remaining two Newport Beach council members, Gary Adams and Norma

Glover, were out of town. Costa Mesa Mayor Gary Monahan and Councilwoman

Linda Dixon could not be reached by press time.