IRVINE : Measures Fail After Debate on Religion

Shortly before she was elected mayor, Sally Anne Sheridan said she would bring peace to City Hall by practicing a less-divisive form of leadership. The City Council majority, led by Mayor Larry Agran, had created political rifts with the public over issues he supported, she said.

But more than a dozen speakers at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting accused Sheridan and council ally Barry J. Hammond, elected in June, of driving a wedge between residents by trying to bring religion into city business.

For more than four hours, residents and council members debated the merits of measures providing for a Christmas tree in the City Hall plaza and for beginning council meetings with a moment of silence.

Both measures failed, although the council voted unanimously to create a special task force to study opening the plaza to holiday celebrations throughout the year.

Several speakers, including rabbis and Christian pastors, spoke against the measures, saying a Christmas tree and “silent invocation” would inject religion into government, discomfiting residents who do not share the majority’s religious beliefs.

Councilman Hammond, though, said a “holiday tree” would be a symbol of the season and would not endorse or promote religion.

Several Irvine residents disagreed.

“To me, a tree is only a symbol of religion,” said Coralia Maier, 17, a student at Woodbridge High School. “And I would like to remind the City Council that not all of us share this religion.”

“Please don’t try to make this a secular issue,” said Robin Kale, 36, a data processing consultant. “A tree with lights on it in December is for a holiday, and it’s not mine.”

Councilman William A. (Art) Bloomer, who voted with Councilwoman Paula Werner to defeat the Christmas tree and invocation plans, said both issues are better left alone.

“I believe it is time to get rid of the divisiveness,” Bloomer said. “It is not the time for us to get involved in religious issues at City Hall.”

But Hammond, who supported both measures, said the issues were not divisive. Instead, he said, a small number of residents who oppose the current council majority were trying to defeat the measures in order to create issues for debate.

While some of the speakers at Tuesday’s meeting were expressing genuine opposition to the measures, most were simply voicing political opposition to the new council members, he said.

“This is a group of people who, in my mind, are trying to make an issue out of anything they can,” Hammond said.

Hammond said he suggested starting council meetings with a silent invocation because at least 50 residents have asked him to bring up the issue.

Most city councils in Orange County begin meetings with a short nondenominational prayer. By adding a silent invocation, Irvine would be doing nothing unusual, Hammond said.

“The issue is not whether we can offend anybody,” Hammond said. “It’s what’s the policy for the city that will offend the least number of people.”