Costa Mesa Taxpayers Assn. endorses ‘3Ms,’ Measure V
The Costa Mesa Taxpayers Assn. on Wednesday announced its endorsement of the “3Ms” slate of City Council candidates and Measure V, the proposed city charter.
The fiscally conservative, grass-roots organization endorsed Councilmen Steve Mensinger and Gary Monahan, as well as Planning Commission Chairman Colin McCarthy, for the Nov. 6 general election, according to a news release.
McCarthy is a founding member and the past president of the association.
The taxpayers association contends that the city charter, essentially a constitution, would implement stronger local control and provide savings to taxpayers.
Charter critics, however, have argued that it would foster an environment of cronyism within a too-powerful council, that the document itself was hastily written without sufficient public input, and that it doesn’t relieve the city of its costly pension liabilities.
The association also endorsed Don Harper and Jeff Mathews for the Costa Mesa Sanitary District and Mayor Eric Bever, Jim Fisler and Ethan Temianka for the Mesa Consolidated Water District.
Bever will be termed out from the council in November. Temianka, a parks commissioner, co-founded the taxpayers association.
“Clearly these candidates are proven friends of the Costa Mesa taxpayer and deserve your support,” Taxpayers Assn. President Jim Fitzpatrick said in a prepared statement.
Fitzpatrick, a director on the Sanitary District’s board, also served on the Planning Commission before resigning his seat amid accusations that serving on both boards at the same time could result in a conflict of interest.
“All candidates support Measure V,” Fitzpatrick added. “All candidates will work separately and together to put residents first.”
The association also endorsed state Assemblyman Allan Mansoor, a Republican and former Costa Mesa mayor, for the 74th District and U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) for the 48th Congressional District. Both districts are newly redrawn.
Twitter: @bradleyzint
