With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Why Irvine is holding a special election Tuesday — and what's at stake
Irvine has lofty climate goals on the horizon.
(
Erin Hauer / Dan Carino
/
LAist
)
Residents in Irvine’s District 5 are headed to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots for a new councilmember: Three candidates are vying for the seat that was vacated when Larry Agran won the mayoral election in November. The person who wins will serve through the end of 2026.
Newcomers Betty Martinez Franco and Dana Cornelius are on the ballot, along with former Councilmember Anthony Kuo. You can read more about their campaigns and platforms here:
Where is the district?
Sponsored message
District 5 encompasses City Hall and the Woodbridge, Westpark, University Park and Rancho San Joaquin neighborhoods.
What's at stake
The election comes as the city consider pulling out of the Orange County Power Authority, which climate activists say could jeopardize the city’s plan of attaining carbon neutrality by 2030.
Late last year, the city voted to authorize the city manager to pull out of the green power agency — that they helped start — if it did not resolve issues surrounding costs and transparency.
-
You may not know his face, but if you have been on Instagram for any amount of time in the last couple years, you’ve heard the music of SKAI Isyourgod. -
The 4.1-mile service between Garden Grove and Santa Ana has been beset by delays. -
The Orange County Register had reported last week that Gates was fired for cause.
The city has debated pulling out of the agency, which it has invested around $7 million in, but has stuck around despite a scathing audit by state auditors that found issues around mismanagement, pricing strategies and lack of transparency.
If Irvine does pull out, the agency will lose more than 60% of its customer base.
Sponsored message
What else is on the agenda for Irvine?
- The nation’s first all electric hospital will open in the city this year. Irvine could also ban plastic takeout containers and go all electric in new construction, which would put the city at odds with the federal government.
- The city is also poised to convert an asphalt factory that was bought for around $285 million into a 700-acre nature preserve with a residential development of about 1,200 homes.
- Irvine’s $1 billion Great Park expansion is underway, but Franco, one of the District 5 candidates, told LAist that if elected she wants to examine the city’s budget to make sure other areas of the city — including District 5 — are getting their fair share of improvements.
- City leaders voted to pull out of the Orange County library system and will now oversee three libraries in Irvine later this year. As a result, eyes will be on Irvine and whether city leaders seek to wield power over — and perhaps inject politics into — book selection.
How to vote
Vote Centers are open are open Tuesday, April 15, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
You can also submit competed vote-by mail ballots at:
Remember that vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by today, April 15.
Sponsored message
Completed ballots can also be hand-delivered to the Orange County Registrar of Voters, 1300 S. Grand Avenue, Building C, Santa Ana
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
