TUSTIN : An Unmatched Pair Leave City Council

Two strong personalities left the City Council last week, but only one stepped down from the dais.

John Kelly, who was ousted in the April 10 municipal election, chose to skip his final council meeting to attend a concert at the Performing Arts Center.

“I’ll enjoy myself a lot more there at the concert than schmoozing with them,” Kelly said.

Ursula E. Kennedy, who decided not to run for reelection this year, left the dais with tears in her eyes after emotionally thanking her friends, family, the city staff and countless others for their support during her 12 years on the council. She received a standing ovation.

Kennedy and Kelly, who differed on many issues during Kelly’s 3 1/2 years on the council, had vastly different styles.

Kennedy, 53, the first woman elected to the council, used persuasion to accomplish things.

“I learned fast that if you don’t have two more votes, you’re not going to get anything through,” said Kennedy, who fought fiercely against high-density developments. Early in her council career, she bought Machiavelli’s “The Prince” in an effort to learn to deal with bright and manipulative developers and public officials, she said.

Kelly, 28, frequently chose to take things into his own hands rather than persuade others. During his last six months in office, he staked out the house of a fellow council member, taped a conversation with the city manager and, with ally Councilman Earl J. Prescott, went to court in an attempt to stop the April election.

“I’m glad that at certain times, I marched at the head of affairs and produced the event,” said Kelly.

While Kelly brought issues of abortion, gun control, flag burning and pornography into the council chambers, Kennedy said she thought the council should focus on local issues, like traffic and development. She often deferred to the advice of the city manager and city attorney, calling them capable and professional. Kelly questioned their wisdom, calling them worn out and tired.

Kelly accused Kennedy of being rude and discourteous behind the scenes, but she said he was that way in public. Critics have chastised Kelly for calling residents and council members names such as twit and moron .

Kennedy, a defense lawyer for State Compensation Insurance Fund in Santa Ana, said she is going to take three months to clear her head and do the things she hasn’t had much time for, such as reading and going to the movies and just being with her husband, Wiley, her three children and two grandchildren.

“This past two years has been so busy,” she said. “I’ve mostly tried to keep things going under the onslaught of lawsuits and shenanigans.” But she does not rule out running for public office in the future.

Kelly, a bachelor, said he is going to promote his tuxedo store for a while but plans to run for higher office in a couple of years--for the state Assembly or Senate, County Board of Supervisors or even Congress.

“I like partisan conflict politics, you know, the real battle,” Kelly said. “I’ll be back. Douglas MacArthur said, ‘I shall return.’ And I will, too.”