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In June, we will be voting on whether or not to create an elected mayor position for Newport.
Electing a mayor is only a small part of this proposal. Like many things, the devil is in the details since this proposal creates an exceptionally powerful mayor.
One of the concerns when people get too powerful is that they have the ability to silence other voices. For example, the very powerful elected mayor of Anaheim recently restricted the amount of time his council colleagues could talk about issues to only a few minutes each.
Think about that for a moment. This is a group elected to debate and decide city policy. The Brown Act mandates that issues can only be discussed in a City Council session. Because the elected mayor restricted their comments to something like 3 minutes each, he has effectively cut them out of running the city.
The proposed Newport Beach elected mayor will be even more powerful than the Anaheim mayor.
The social media account for the proponents of Measure B have also restricted the comments of dissenting voices and I can’t help but wonder what they are afraid of? Having a vigorous debate about issues is one of the mainstays of democracy. Having voices silenced is something that authoritarian leaders do.
Almost all former mayors, city council member and city managers oppose this proposition. They, more than any of the rest of us, understand the dangers that this proposal creates. Our current system of government works well and there are no problems that this initiative will fix. We have everything to lose and nothing to gain by passing this proposal.
Please vote NO on Measure B.
Susan Skinner / Newport Beach
