With No Seats Contested, 3 Cities May Cancel Elections

Three Orange County cities are considering canceling municipal elections in November because no one is challenging the current members sitting on the city councils.

On Tuesday, the city councils of Stanton, Laguna Hills and San Juan Capistrano will meet to decide whether to cancel the elections and appoint the incumbents to new terms that begin in December, or go ahead with Nov. 3 elections.

In each city, three of five council members are seeking another term.

Canceling the City Council elections would save Stanton about $14,000; Laguna Hills and San Juan Capistrano would save about $12,000 each.

“If they’ve given us a vote of confidence by no one seeking the seat, I think we should respect that and save the city money,” said San Juan Capistrano Councilman Wyatt T. Hart, who is seeking a second term. “I think the citizens are basically accepting the direction we’re going, and I have a lot of confidence in the voters.”

If the three cities choose to cancel their elections, Laguna Hills City Clerk Mary A. Carlson said, it would be legal according to the state election code.

“We have the same number of candidates that we have offices to fill, so the code allows you to appoint the person who has been nominated, or to hold the election,” Carlson said. “It doesn’t seem fiscally responsible to hold the election when the three candidates would be elected anyway.”

Another benefit of canceling the election is incumbents don’t have to spend money on campaigns.

“It’s a relief not to have to get into another heated race at this time when I have so much on my plate,” said Irvine Mayor Christina L. Shea, who also is facing no opposition.

Shea fought in two hotly contested races when she ran for the council in 1992, then for mayor in 1996. Since no one is challenging her this time, Shea said she can concentrate on issues affecting the city.

“I don’t have to change my focus to the election,” she said. “This way, I can keep my energies on the projects and interests that my constituents want me to focus on.”

In Santa Ana and Newport Beach, some council candidates also are running unopposed. But because other council seats in those cities are contested, an election will be held, officials said.

If any of the three cities decides to cancel the election, it would eliminate the prospect of write-in candidates. If an election is held, write-in candidates would have to submit nomination papers by Oct. 20, but their name and a candidate’s statement would not be included on the ballot.

For Laguna Hills, which held its first City Council election in 1994, and for San Juan Capistrano, incorporated in 1961 with 14 council candidates in its first race, this is the first time no one has stepped forward to challenge incumbents.

Stanton City Clerk Darleen Cordova said it is unknown whether this is a first for that city, and she cannot recall an election that has not been contested in the 12 years she has served.

“Generally, it is a shame when there” are no challengers, said elections law expert Fred Woocher. “It usually means that [incumbents] are doing a really good job and nobody wants to run against them, or in other instances maybe there’s not enough local interest in the democratic process to result in the informed debate over public issues that a contested election would bring.”

Stanton Councilman Brian Donahue, who wants to serve another four years, said he attributes the lack of candidates to several reasons: The city is in a good financial situation and there is less crime, including prostitution on Beach Boulevard.

“There’s no burning issue that someone would like to carry the flag, so we would hope that people are comfortable in what we’re doing,” Donahue said.

* WHO’S RUNNING: A list of candidates for municipal races across the county. B2