CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : MISSION VIEJO : Recall Victor Claims Mandate

After beating back a heavily financed campaign to oust him, City Councilman Robert A. Curtis warned his colleagues that he believes he has a mandate from residents to pursue the slow-growth agenda that has frequently sparked political conflict on the council. “I hope that the tremendous support we’ve received in this election would convince the rest of the council that this community supports growth controls,” he said. More than 33% of the city’s voters cast ballots and Curtis won by a margin of more than 2 to 1. Curtis raised less than $50,000 for his campaign. His victory represented a strong rebuke of the Mission Viejo Co., which contributed the lion’s share of $500,000 contributed to the anti-Curtis campaign. The firm planned and built the Orange County city.