Westminster City Elections

In Westminster, three are vying for the mayor’s seat, six for the two-year seat vacated by Councilwoman Joy L. Neugebauer and five for the other two seats available on the City Council in the Nov. 3 election.

Mayor

Regina Hardin

Age: Not given.

Occupation: Homemaker; businesswoman.

Background: Involved in PTA and community activities in Huntington Beach.

Issues: Says city should intercede on behalf of mobile home park residents who will be forced to move if their park is redeveloped; opposed to buying buildings on Beach Boulevard and 13th Street; favors continued redevelopment but with minimal expense; advocates shuttles to reduce traffic in the Bolsa Corridor and Little Saigon area.

Joy L. Neugebauer

Age: 64.

Occupation: Incumbent; industrial business consultant.

Background: President of Soroptimists International of Westminster, 1991-92; on the board of directors of the Westminster Historical Society; on the board of directors of Westminster Boy’s and Girl’s Club; treasurer of the Westminster Area Coordinating Council.

Issues: Opposes special assessment districts if municipally funded; contends the existing water rate is sufficient for capital improvements; would work with residents and mobile home park owners to amend the existing ordinance so both can agree on settlement; opposed to buying buildings on Beach and 13th Street; advocates aggressive redevelopment, especially in creating low-cost housing.

Charles V. Smith

Age: 60.

Occupation: Incumbent.

Background: Member of the Orange County Transportation Authority, 1991-present; chairman of the Mayor’s City Selection Committee (composed of all Orange County mayors), 1988 to present; member of the Local Agency Formation Commission, which rules on the formation or annexation of new cities.

Issues: Favors special assessment districts when property owners in the area approve; would pay for needed improvements in the water system with a revenue bond; says developer of mobile home parks should pay for the value of residents’ coaches at market value or pay full cost of moving; favors purchase of buildings at Beach and 13th if they are appraised at below market value; wants to continue aggressive redevelopment.

CITY COUNCIL (Two-year seat)

Tony Lam

Age: 56.

Occupation: Local business owner.

Background: Member, board of trustees of Humana Hospital; former board member of the Orange County Community Council; former president of the Orange County Vietnamese-American Chamber of Commerce.

Issues: Opposes special assessment districts if they raises taxes; would use redevelopment projects to generate money to use for improvements in water system; opposes redevelopment of mobile home parks; opposes buying property on Beach and 13th Street; favors continued aggressive redevelopment; favors multilevel parking structures to help with congestion in Little Saigon.

Norman Lawson

Age: Not given.

Occupation: Landlord; stage technician.

Background: Member of the Orange County Apartment Assn.; member of the People’s Advocate Taxpayers Assn.; member of the National Taxpayers Union.

Issues: Opposes special assessment districts; would cut services if necessary to pay for water system or put it to a vote; favors partial compensation for mobile home tenants on case-by-case basis; opposes buying buildings on Beach and 13th Street; favors moderate redevelopment if it does not involve forming a reassessment district.

Jimmy Tong Nguyen

Age: 43.

Occupation: Business consultant.

Background: Ten years in law enforcement in New Orleans; assistant to the mayor of New Orleans; member of the Bolsa Corridor Steering Committee.

Issues: Opposes special assessment districts; proposes re-evaluating or cutting programs to pay for water system improvements; opposes redevelopment of mobile home parks, would try to limit or stop redevelopment; would negotiate a long-term lease for buildings on Beach and 13th rather than buy; favors aggressive redevelopment.

Margie Rice

Age: 63.

Occupation: School board director; trustee.

Background: Director of Midway City Sanitary Board; member of school board for 16 years, president twice; former commissioner of the Mobile Home Commission.

Issues: Opposes special assessment districts; would cut programs to pay for water system and would rescind utility tax; would use redevelopment or HUD money to compensate people who must move from mobile home parks; opposes buying buildings on Beach and 13th; would like to see redevelopment curtailed.

Loretta A. Walker

Could not be reached for comment. Helena Rutkowski

Age: Not given.

Occupation: Personnel commissioner for school board.

Background: Member of the Westminster Foundation for Educational Excellence, 1991 to present; member of the city general plan advisory committee.

Issues: Supports special assessment districts if money is taken from the general fund; wants to streamline operations and look into past water rates increases to pay for improvements; favors full restitution by developer for residents forced to move from mobile homes; supports buying buildings on Beach and 13th to expand civic center area; in favor of moderate redevelopment with some restraints.

CITY COUNCIL (Two four-year seats available)

Charmayne Bohman

Age: 55.

Occupation: University professor; businesswoman; psychologist.

Background: Huntington Beach Union High School District Board of Trustees (includes Westminster), 1987 to present; president of the Coastline Regional Occupation Program, president of the Board of Trustees, 1988-89; received achievement award from the Orange County Status of Women, 1990.

Issues: Opposed to special assessment districts unless approved by voters; favors restitution for mobile home tenants who must move; favors buying buildings on Beach and 13th if it is a positive investment; favors more aggressive redevelopment more evenly distributed throughout the city; would enforce strict building code standards on Bolsa Corridor.

Frank Fry

Age: 67.

Occupation: Incumbent; retired local businessman.

Background: Current member of the County Waste Management Board; former member of County Waste Enforcement Board; member of the Orange County Water Advisory Council.

Issues: Favors special assessment districts in certain areas if the voters approve; would pay for needed water system improvements with long-term revenue bonds; supports buying buildings on Beach and 13th for expansion purposes; wants to continue aggressive redevelopment; proposes a canal parkway through Bolsa to alleviate traffic congestion.

Lyn Gillespie

Age: 37.

Occupation: Incumbent.

Background: West Orange County chair of the United Way; on the board of directors of the Boy’s and Girl’s Club; member of the Westminster Childcare Committee; active in the League of Cities.

Issues: Opposed to special assessment districts unless approved by the people; contends necessary water system improvements could be paid for by current water fees; contends mobile home park owner should compensate residents who must move; opposed to buying buildings on Beach and 13th Street; advocates aggressive redevelopment; advocates a complete study of the Bolsa Corridor that can be implemented.

Paul Perea

Age: 64.

Occupation: Retired contractor and teacher.

Background: Involved with Los Angeles and Orange County missions to feed the hungry; former at-large member for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Issues: Opposes special assessment districts; would recycle water to save money needed to pay for water system improvements; favors compensation and finding new homes for mobile home tenants; opposed to buying buildings on Beach and 13th street; would evaluate redevelopment in terms of what residents think; would put a moratorium on expansion of Little Saigon.

Wes Stiles

Age: 29.

Occupation: Businessman.

Background: Fund-raiser for the Republican party; worked with company that raised money for Bruce Herschensohn’s campaign.

Issues: Opposes special assessment districts; would cut programs if necessary to pay for improvements in water system; favors partial restitution for mobile home park residents forced to move; opposed to buying buildings on Beach and 13th; favors aggressive redevelopment.