ORANGE : 3 Challengers File to Enter Mayoral Race

Mayor Gene Beyer, Councilwoman Joanne Coontz and two other challengers filed late Friday afternoon to enter the city’s November mayoral race.

Beyer and Coontz are joined in the campaign for the two-year mayoral post by two familiar faces from council meetings: local activist Juan Pablo-Serrano Nieblas, who has spoken out on the issues of the homeless and the minority community, and Carole M. Walters, who led the fight against the school district assessment tax.

Beyer was a councilman for 10 years before winning the mayor’s post in 1990. Coontz, who became the first woman on the council in 1986, will not relinquish her council spot if she loses the race for mayor.

Two other seats on the five-member council will also be filled by voters this year.

The incumbents in the slots, Mike Spurgeon and Fred L. Barrera, also filed before the Friday 5 p.m. deadline.

Spurgeon, who is seeking his first full term, became a council member by appointment in 1990, taking over Beyer’s vacated spot.

Barrera is seeking his fifth term on the council.

Thomas J. Debin, Robert Meano and James E. Wronski also filed to vie for the two council seats.

City Clerk Marilyn J. Jensen, a four-term incumbent, filed to again seek the post. She will be opposed by Nancy Ann Just.

A potential mayoral candidate who did not file was former planning commissioner Don Greek.

He was sued last year by the city government and the city Redevelopment Agency for alleged improprieties involving his company, DGA Consultants Inc., and city contracts.

Greek did not return the campaign forms he requested.

Councilman William G. Steiner, who said he would only file if Beyer dropped out, also did not return the documents that would have entered him into the race for mayor.