YORBA LINDA : Election Blew In Winds of Change

The Santa Ana winds that blew through town on Election Day are being called a breath of fresh air by some residents.

With the defeat of three-term city councilman and the current mayor, Irwin M. Fried, 60, the retirement of Councilman Gene Wisner, 58, and the election of 45-year-old Barbara Kiley and 39-year-old Daniel Welch, the makeup of the City Council has substantially changed.

The current council has no women, and only one member, John M. Gullixson, 43, is under age 50. When the newly elected members join the council in December, the balance will shift in favor of relative youth.

“It was time for some changes, time for a new perspective on the council,” said resident Barbara Keckta. “I think previous councils lost sight of their priorities for the kids of Yorba Linda.”

The age lines represent a philosophical difference among council members, both newly elected and incumbents. Both Welch and Kiley ran campaigns that emphasized the need for more recreational space in the city and vowed to make establishing a high school in Yorba Linda a top priority.

Gullixson, who has frequently voted in the minority regarding increased recreation and the establishment of a high school, will now be part of a majority block on those issues.

A recent example of Gullixson’s isolated position involves a report he requested to designate suitable sites for a high school campus.

At a council meeting that Fried did not attend, Gullixson, who is mayor pro tem, asked the city staff to prepare a site report.

At the following meeting, Fried protested Gullixson’s action and made a motion that the site study be canceled. The rest of the board supported Fried’s motion.

Gullixson also opposed a new community center now under construction near Hurless-Barton Park, in part because the plan did not include a gymnasium.

Kiley said the new council members also represent a shift in power away from the older, more established west side of town to the newer, developing east side.

“The east end wants representation, someone to identify with,” Kiley said.

Kiley also vowed to change the tone of council meetings.

Claiming that time was often wasted on personality conflicts, such as the frequent verbal sparring between Gullixson and Councilman Henry W. Wedaa, Kiley said she would not tolerate personal vendettas.

“Feuds are no longer going to continue,” Kiley said.

“They are very disruptive. This will be a happy council.”