Letters to the Editor: Muldoon, Peotter, Duffield successfully reduced Newport Beach’s debt obligations

A decade ago, Newport Beach had minimal debt on its balance sheet. Between 2007 and 2014, the city then took on hundreds of millions in debt for the Civic Center and Marina Park and had an enormous unfunded pension liabilities. Debt fatigue set in. At the same time, the city lost millions in off-balance sheet income. Led by the former city manager, the former City Hall site sat rotting for years. The property should be sold immediately, the proceeds used to reduced our debt.

A new City Council was elected in 2014 and 2016 that ran on a platform opposing debt. They have been successful. They’ve stemmed the tide on pension liability. They have paid down the Civic Center debt each year. Most importantly, they haven’t taken on any new debt and have instead used existing resources to build a new fire station and library in Corona del Mar and capped the Balboa Island seawall.

Now challengers want to “take the city back.” Back to where? This City Council has voted consistently with its platform. Let’s not forget to vote for Marshall “Duffy” Duffield, Kevin Muldoon and Scott Peotter.

Roger D. Lockhart

Newport Beach

Diane Dixon is an independent council voice

During this election season there has been a lot of talk about replacing Team Newport — a group of candidates who ran as a slate during the Newport Beach City Council election in 2014. While some of those team members usually vote together, Councilwoman Diane Dixon studies the issues. She has held town hall meetings to confer with the residents, and she votes independently. Please don’t lump her in with the other incumbents when placing your vote for City Council.

Nancy J. Smith

Newport Beach

Brenner’s intelligence, warmth are evident

By the second time that I was in Joy Brenner’s presence, I was able to observe how naturally she interacted with people and how eloquently and candidly she spoke. I decided very quickly that she was the perfect City Council member for our fair city. Since the time I met Brenner and talked with her, I have seen her on several occasions, frequently enough to also appreciate her intelligence, her warmth and her work ethic. Joy is not afraid to speak and write openly about her feelings and vision for Newport Beach. And her strength of spirit is always evident in her speeches to the council and to civic groups.

Lynn Lorenz

Newport Beach

Keep Newport from becoming Irvine

I am afraid that Councilman Kevin Muldoon, along with incumbents Scott Peotter and Marshall “Duffy” Duffield, are steering the city in an urban city direction instead of keeping us a town of villages. One only has to look at Muldoon’s disastrous Museum House fiasco vote, yes vote on Measure Y and his letter as mayor of Newport Beach supporting Irvine’s effort to lure Amazon.

Was Muldoon not thinking of the residents that he is supposed to serve, as Amazon coming to Irvine would have been disaster for our city with unmitigated growth and an expanded John Wayne Airport? Residents of Newport Beach cannot continue to have the Team Newport incumbents vote as a bloc and have Newport Beach start to look like Jamboree Road in Irvine.

Roy Englebrecht

Newport Beach

The writer is a candidate in City Council District 4.

They wouldn’t get Reagan’s approval

Councilman Scott Peotter and Mayor Marshall “Duffy” Duffield like to claim to be some sort of extreme Republicans, but as someone who knew Ronald Reagan personally and worked with him for eight years, I can tell you the Gipper would be outraged by their behavior. We need a change to restore honesty and propriety to the City Council. I will be voting for Tim Stoaks and Joy Brenner.

Rush Hill

Newport Beach

The writer is a former Newport Beach mayor.

How to get published: Email us at dailypilot@latimes.com. All correspondence must include full name, hometown and phone number (for verification purposes). The Pilot reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity and length.