Heffernan to step down

June Casagrande

NEWPORT BEACH -- In a startling late-night announcement Tuesday, City

Councilman John Heffernan said he would leave his seat in November, two

years before his four-year term expires.

Heffernan, the sole supporter of the city’s slow-growth Greenlight law

whose role on the council is something of a lone wolf, cited family

reasons for the decision.

“I’ve neglected my family, my wife, my extended family,” Heffernan

told colleagues.

On Wednesday, Heffernan said his family was just one factor, but that

he was not prepared to lay out all his reasoning for the decision.

He has been considering stepping down for about a year, he said.

“It is not the fact that I’m usually on the outside of most votes, it

had more to do with who I was participating with,” Heffernan said.

The news came as a surprise to city officials; it seems no one knew it

was coming.

“I was surprised and disappointed at John’s resignation,” Mayor Tod

Ridgeway said. “I thought that in the second year of his term he had

become a team player with the other council members.”

Since he was first elected two years ago, Heffernan has often been the

odd man out, usually alone in his support for Greenlight causes and

frequently a dissenting voice on just about any subject. As recently as

Tuesday, Heffernan cast the sole “no” vote in a council decision to buy

the building at 111 Main St. as space for the planned Balboa Performing

Arts Theater.

“John is kind of the council antagonist. He plays a role of

antagonist, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Ridgeway said.

“Contention and dissent create healthy debate, and John certainly did

provide a platform for healthy debate.”

Heffernan agreed that this has been one of his most notable

accomplishments: “Hopefully, I’ve been a voice for reason and common

sense,” he said.

Greenlight leader Phil Arst said he hopes Heffernan will change his

mind.

“I can certainly understand what he goes through up there,” Arst said.

“And this sure shows how the City Council doesn’t want to cooperate with

the residents’ only representative.”

Though Heffernan announced that his District 7 council seat would be

up for grabs in the upcoming November election, the rules for replacing

council members makes it unclear whether his initial replacement will be

elected by the voters or appointed by the council.

According to the city’s charter, council members would appoint someone

to fill any vacancy on the City Council until the next municipal

election.

At election time, voters select a candidate to fulfill the unfinished

term. This means that a candidate elected in the coming November election

would serve out Heffernan’s two remaining years if he had vacated the

seat early enough.

In 2004, which is when the District 7 seat would normally be up for

grabs, another election for the council seat would be held.

Heffernan said he has not decided exactly when he will step down.

“I need to get some things done first,” he said. He added that the

question of how to select his replacement will factor into the decision.

If Heffernan steps down in November, it could mean that the council

will not have to pick a replacement to serve in the interim. But it’s

unclear whether the rules allow him to time his departure that way.

The city attorney’s office will have to interpret the charter to

decide how to abide by the rules.

* June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)

574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .