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Incumbents Ted Bui, Glenn Grandis in line to remain on Fountain Valley City Council

Dozens of residents line up to cast their vote in national and local elections at the Fountain Valley Recreation Center.
Dozens of residents line up to cast their votes at the Fountain Valley Recreation Center on Tuesday.
(Andrew Turner)
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The Fountain Valley City Council appears as though it will remain in status quo, as voters backed the incumbents in the race for two seats on the dais.

Vice Mayor Ted Bui paced the vote-getters with 36.14% of the ballots so far counted at 11,674, as updated by the Orange County Registrar of Voters on Thursday evening.

Mayor Glenn Grandis was also on track to defend his seat on the five-person governing body, securing 10,635 votes, representing 32.93%.

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Bui claimed victory in his reelection campaign in a statement released on social media on Wednesday.

Fountain Valley Vice Mayor Ted Bui during the Fountain Valley City Council candidates forum on Sept. 26.
Fountain Valley Vice Mayor Ted Bui during the Fountain Valley City Council candidates forum at Fountain Valley City Hall on Sept. 26.
(James Carbone)

“I am deeply honored by the trust and confidence that the residents of Fountain Valley have placed in me to represent the values that we all hold so dear,” Bui said. “Together, we will keep our community clean and safe for all residents.”

In a phone interview Thursday, Bui said that sober living homes remain an area of concern for the community. The city passed an ordinance for the regulation of such group homes earlier this year, including permit requirements and restrictions on the proximity of one sober living home to another.

“We put in a sober living ordinance, but we have not, per se, enforced it because we want to give the operator time to make the adjustment,” Bui said. “Part of the adjustment that we would like for them to do is, first of all, apply for a permit through the city, so we know that they are operating as such. … Not every sober living home is a bad operator, but we want the good operators to step forward, and that’s one step toward good stewardship is [to] make sure that you get a permit.”

Grandis said he felt steps were taken to emphasize transparent local government during his mayoral term, including the implementation of a “Mayor’s Message” podcast and community outreach through town hall meetings.

Fountain Valley Mayor Glenn Grandis during the Fountain Valley City Council candidates forum on Sept. 26.
(James Carbone)

During the campaign, Grandis said public safety was a primary concern he heard voiced by residents, including issues related to homelessness and sober-living homes.

“The biggest issues facing our city coming forward, the three top ones, are homelessness, sober-living homes and potential development of large parcels in our city,” Grandis said. “Those are the three big issues that’ll be facing us in the next four years.”

Four candidates had entered the race for the two available City Council seats this election cycle. As of Thursday evening, Alicia “Rudy” Huebner had secured 5,665 votes, or 17.54%, while Katy Wright had received 4,326 votes, 13.39%.

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