Irvine has a new councilmember. Here's what they plan to do

Betty Martinez Franco is Irvine’s newest councilmember for District 5.

Franco told LAist her closest opponent, former councilmember Anthony Kuo, conceded via a voicemail wishing her well, which he confirmed in a statement to the Orange County Register.

“Tonight, we concluded a spirited campaign for City Council, but came up short,” he said in the statement. “I just reached out to Betty Martinez Franco to offer my congratulations, and I wish her the best as she works to lead and represent District 5 on the City Council. Her success as a councilwoman will translate into Irvine’s success as a thriving community.”

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Franco was leading Kuo by about 600 votes since the last update.

She will fill the seat vacated by Larry Agran when he won the mayoral election last November. Franco’s term runs through 2026.

Franco has been a resident of District 5 for 21 years, runs a public relations agency and has served as the vice chair of the city’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

What’s on the agenda for Irvine?

This year is poised to be a year of change for one of Orange County’s biggest cities:

• Irvine has embarked on a $1 billion expansion plan in the Great Park area.
• The city is also seeking to convert an asphalt factory into a 700-acre nature preserve with a residential development of about 1,200 homes. 
• The city is poised to pull out of the Orange County Power Authority, the green power agency it help founded, over concerns about mismanagement and a lack of financial transparency. Climate activists are concerned that such changes could jeopardize the city's ambitious goal to attain carbon neutrality by the year 2030.
• Irvine has pulled out of the Orange County library system and will now oversee its own libraries, raising concerns about whether politics will play a role in book selection. 

What are a few of the new councilmember's priorities?

Franco previously told LAist she wants to take “a closer look at the budget to ensure that while we invest in the Great Park, we are not neglecting other parts of our city.”

District 5 has not received the same investments as other areas of the city, she said.

“While schools and parks in the Great Park are getting major upgrades, many of our neighborhood parks have not been updated in decades, and our schools and libraries still look the same as they did 20 years ago. Our city’s development should be balanced, ensuring that every resident benefits, not just those in one area,” she said.

Franco also said she wants to increase “housing density near transit hubs, shopping centers and job corridors to prevent overcrowding in existing neighborhoods."

"This approach will create walkable communities where residents have access to amenities while preserving the character of our villages,” she added.

She said she'll push for projects that are a mix of market-rate and affordable housing.

Where is the district?

District 5 encompasses City Hall and the Woodbridge, Westpark, University Park and Rancho San Joaquin neighborhoods.