San Juan Capistrano Reelects Incumbents After Delay in Count

Incumbents defeated a slow-growth proponent and two other challengers in a hotly contested race to win two San Juan Capistrano City Council seats in vote tallies early Wednesday, after a faulty ballot-counting machine delayed results for several hours.

When the unofficial final tabulations came in at 12:30 a.m., Lawrence F. Buchheim garnered 29.1% of the vote to win reelection to a fourth four-year council term, and Kenneth E. Friess captured 27.8% of the vote to win a third term.

But there were congratulations all round for leading challenger Ilse Byrnes, who came in a close third with 24% of the vote. Other council challengers were Jean LaBurn, who got 12.6%, and David A. Hanson, who took 6.5%.

2% Hotel Tax to Continue

Voters also overwhelmingly approved Proposition C, which allows the city to continue collecting a 2% tax on hotel and motel rooms.

City election officials said the turnout of 22% of the city’s 12,019 registered voters was a bit higher than usual for municipal elections. In 1986, 16.9% of the voters cast ballots.

One of the biggest issues in the campaign was the city’s slow-growth and traffic-control initiative, which will not be on the ballot until November. The measure would block city approval of developments where traffic is unacceptably heavy, unless road improvements are made first. A similar county slow-growth initiative is on the June ballot, which would apply to unincorporated areas.

All the candidates except Byrnes have opposed the city’s slow-growth measure, saying that the city’s growth is already controlled by the general plan, enacted in 1974, which gives the council authority to limit the number of residential building permits issued each year.

Byrnes, however, maintained that growth needs to be curbed in the city and the county because both are already at development capacity.

Initially, city officials had estimated that votes would be counted by 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, and about 30 people gathered at City Hall to watch the tabulations in the City Council chambers.

But election officials had to call for another computerized ballot-counting machine when the first one would not work correctly.

City Clerk Mary Ann Hanover, who has run elections in the city for 12 years, said it was the first time there had been such a delay.

At one point, someone suggested that she try kicking the machine. “I already did that,” she said, pointing to a small bandage on her shin.

Phil Johnson, who was there to operate the machine for Martin & Chapman Co., a Lakewood election supply firm, made several phone calls in the early evening, trying to determine what was wrong. Finally, he called for a replacement at about 9:45 p.m.

“This has never happened to me,” said Johnson, a beer company distributor who also runs the machines for elections. “I’ve heard of it happening to other people, but never to me.”

About 10:30 p.m., the city bought pizza and soft drinks for the election workers waiting patiently for the second machine to arrive. Ballots from the 10 precincts had been delivered after the polls closed at 8 p.m.

Calls Inquiring About Count

There were telephone calls from residents, inquiring about the results. Election officials politely explained the reason for the delay.

But the key call came about 11:30 p.m. The man delivering the machine from Lakewood was lost.

“He said, ‘My name is Richard, I have the machine, and I’m lost,’ ” an election official announced. The small crowd laughed nervously.

Five minutes later, the Richard arrived with the machine, and everyone followed it into the council chambers. After Johnson tried unsuccessfully four times to send ballots through the second machine, it responded with a whir and began counting. Hanover gave the crowd the thumbs-up.

After the winners were announced, Friess walked over to Byrnes and congratulated her on a close race.

“I gave you a real run for your money,” Byrnes told Friess, as well-wishers gathered round.

Byrnes Will Run Again

Byrnes attributed her strong showing to diligent campaigning.

“I think it was my overall presentation on historical preservation and slow growth,” she said, adding that she definitely will run for the council again in 1990.

“I got it in my blood,” said Byrnes, 60, a local historian who also ran unsuccessfully for the City Council in 1980.

“I’m glad this thing is over,” said a tired Friess, 45, a general contractor who has been a councilman for 12 of the 15 years he has lived in San Juan Capistrano.

Buchheim, 61, a property manager, said he knew it was going to be a close race because people had been telling him that they liked Byrnes’ position on some city issues, such as historical preservation and redevelopment.

He said he thought that some residents began listening to Byrnes because the current council has been in place for about 10 years.

“People are not trusting. They’re not well informed, and we’ve got to get a better line of communication to let people know what we’re doing,” Buchheim said.

“I don’t know how to do it, but we’ve got to work on it. . . . We’re not trying to be heavy handed.”

Tuesday’s election was the second unsuccessful City Council candidacy for all three challengers. LaBurn, 60, owner of an office supply store, lost a council bid in 1986; Hanson, 50, a real estate agent, lost a council race in 1982.

ELECTION RESULTS

Tuesday’s Results

Winners in bold type with an asterisk.

San Juan Capistrano

10 of 10 precincts FINAL

CITY COUNCIL (2 to be elected)

Votes % *Lawrence F. Buchheim, inc. 1,430 29.1 Ilse Byrnes 1,180 24.0 *Kenneth E. Friess, inc. 1,368 27.8 David A. Hanson 317 6.5 Jean LaBurn 619 12.6

Proposition C: Hotel/Motel tax: Shall the city continue to collect the additional 2% tax levy enacted in 1985 (by ordinance No. 553) on the occupancy of hotel and motel rooms in the city?:

Votes % *Yes 2,048 85.7 No 342 14.3

Voter turnout 22%