Interview with Neil Lonsinger, latest candidate for Mission Viejo city council

Neil Lonsinger, former Chairman of the Mission Viejo Planning & Transportation Commission, has just met with our City Clerk and joins the growing list of the 2008 City Council candidates. He will challenge incumbent council members Gail Reavis and Frank Ury in the November General election.

Neil, a 25 year resident/retired business owner, has been in the arena before and told me that he is throwing hit hat in the ring at this time for a number of reasons starting with our council’s “lack of money management (that) is absolutely obscene.” He said there are “a multitude of expenditures such as the cost overrun on the Murray Center” adding we have a council majority engaged in “out of control spending.”

During the interview Neil mentioned the Rose Parade float stating “it’s ridiculous–it doesn’t make any sense–it brings no value to the city.”


He also expressed his concern that this council is “locking out the citizens from their rightful participation in the process” pointing out the numerous costly Change Orders that are rubber stamped by this council  majority without question.

Note: This is in reference to the decision by this council to change a City Policy in which any member of the public could pull routine Consent Calendar items for discussion without first getting one of them to accommodate that request in advance of the meeting or be forced to address those items along with your public comments where the impact is greatly diminished.

Neil stated “it’s time for a change.” In his closing thoughts he told me that “there is too much at stake for this to be a part time job. I will give it my undivided attention for the best interests of the citizens.”


About Larry Gilbert