DANA POINT : Eggers Says He Won’t Be Seeking Reelection

Prospects for a wide-open City Council race in June were boosted Tuesday when Councilman Mike Eggers announced he will not be seeking reelection.

Eggers, an aide to U.S. Rep. Ron Packard (R-Oceanside) and a member of the city’s first council, became the second of two incumbents to decide not to run. Last week, Councilwoman Eileen Krause announced she would not enter the race.

“It is time to move on, to move over, to elect new people with new ideas and new perspectives,” Eggers said. “I believe there is much more that can and should be done. However, those challenges and accomplishments belong to future City Council members, not me.”

Eggers, who has long championed term limits for local elected officials, said it would be inconsistent for him to run again.

“I sincerely do believe in local term limits, and . . . I sincerely do want to get my life back,” Eggers said, adding that he has spent six years on the council and another two years working toward cityhood. “As the old saying goes, eight is enough.”

Eggers was first elected to the council in June, 1988, when Dana Point residents voted to incorporate as a city. He, along with Krause and Mayor Judy Curreri, were among five members of the charter council.

Eggers predicted a wide-open race in June because three council seats will be up for grabs, with two incumbents dropping out. He urged new faces to enter the race from among this city of 34,000 residents.

Councilwoman Karen Lloreda is also up for reelection and is expected to run.

Although nine prospective candidates have requested the paperwork for the June 7 election, no one has yet filed to run, City Clerk Sharon L. Waits said.

The filing deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. The deadline will be extended to 5 p.m. March 16, if either or both Eggers and Krause indeed do not file papers.

“They could still change their minds and run,” Waits said. “If on (Friday) they have not filed, the deadline is then extended.”