Voters Should Fill Council Seat

The resignation of Irvine City Council member Art Bloomer creates a vacant seat on the council and a leadership gap at City Hall which can only be addressed by the voters. Since becoming a council member in 1990, Gen. Bloomer has, on most occasions, been a voice for moderation and deliberation in a city often characterized by political turbulence. Bloomer’s shoes will be difficult to fill, especially so if the City Council is left to appoint his replacement.

Irvine citizens have the right to petition the City Council for an election to fill a council vacancy. Absent a petition containing signatures from 7% of the city’s registered voters, the City Council will appoint someone for the remainder of Bloomer’s term, which is another 16 months.

Irvine citizens should exercise this right by signing petitions being circulated calling for an election, both to honor Gen. Bloomer and to protect the fundamental principle of self-governance. Irvine voters should not let themselves be subject to the will and whimsy of a City Council meeting behind closed doors to fill Bloomer’s seat.

Appointment by the City Council is simply an inadequate and potentially dangerous way to fill this vacancy. Appointment neither guarantees the seat will be filled--deadlock over appointments throughout the county is not uncommon--nor does it guarantee a distinguished replacement for Gen. Bloomer; political pay-back rather than political quality is more often the rule which governs the appointment process.

Moreover, the appointment process can easily cause lasting discontent and animosity among members of the council, diminishing their ability to work together for the betterment of the city.

Gov. Pete Wilson has already scheduled an election for Nov. 2. The cost of adding an Irvine election to the ballot will be minimal and is already anticipated in the city’s budget. But time is short. Petitioners have only until July 19 to gather a sufficient number of valid signatures. The stakes are too high to squander this opportunity for democratic empowerment. Sign up for an election and let the democratic process fulfill its promise.

MARK P. PETRACCA

Irvine