McCarthy considers City Council run

Costa Mesa Planning Commissioner Colin McCarthy said Thursday that he is weighing a run for City Council.

He has formed an election committee and has a treasurer but is not ready to announce, he said.

McCarthy, 36, has been a planning commissioner since 2009 and is co-founder of the Costa Mesa Taxpayers Assn., a fiscally conservative citizens group that supports the current council’s direction.

He’s also a close ally of Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer. The treasurer for McCarthy’s political committee, Colin McCarthy for Costa Mesa City Council 2012, is Lysa Ray, who was also the treasurer for Righeimer’s 2010 political committee.

McCarthy said he’ll decide if he’ll make a run for one of the council’s three seats next week. Councilmen Steve Mensinger and Gary Monahan are also running in the November election.

—Joseph Serna

Twitter: @JosephSerna