Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
Mission Viejo City Councilmembers Must Step Down, Appeals Court Rules
The Mission Viejo Chamber of Commerce held a candidates forum for Mision Viejo city councilmember candidates on Oct. 19, 2022.
(
Jill Replogle
/
LAist
)
Topline:
Three Mission Viejo city councilmembers must step down immediately, according to a state appeals court ruling Thursday.
The backstory: An Orange County Superior Court judge found earlier this year that councilmembers Ed Sachs, Greg Raths and Wendy Bucknum had overstayed their terms in office by more than two years. The Mission Viejo City Council had extended the terms illegally, the court found, while they tried to work out a deal to implement a new election system.
The city's appeal of the lower court's decision is still pending. But the appeals court ruled that the councilmembers need to step down in the meantime.
What's next? At least one of the councilmembers will likely be back in office soon. All three were on the November ballot. The vote count is ongoing, but the latest tally has Bucknum with a substantial lead in her race. Raths and Sachs, who are running to represent the same district, are both trailing challenger Cynthia Vasquez.
The new council is expected to be sworn in in mid-December.
For more on the race and the legal quagmire, read this and this.
Sponsored message
Do you live in Mission Viejo? Let us know your thoughts on the city council. You can drop us a note or a question here and it’ll be routed to our Orange County reporter.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
