This afternoon I had an opportunity to speak with Jim Righeimer who has pulled papers to run for a seat on the Costa Mesa city council.
A general law city incorporated in 1953, Costa Mesa, with 113,000 residents, has a council-manager form of government and staff of approximately 580 full-time employees.
This year three of the five members are up for re-election and intend to be on the playing field. They are Mayor Eric Bever, Council Member Katrina Foley and Council Member Linda Dixon.
According to Jim there are eight (or nine) candidates who have pulled papers for these three open seats. All applications for city council seats must be delivered to the City Clerk of that city by Friday August 8th.
One of his top priorities is to have “a city council that needs to work together on big issues like traffic. We must mitigate traffic issues.” Jim cited “state highway 55, of which the city has zero control, and its traffic impact at it ends near the Triangle Square project a mile and a half before PCH.”
In discussing the Triangle Square mixed-use redevelopment project he said “it is dead in the water.” He added that “the whole world said that area is residential.”
Jim serves as chairman of the Orange County Housing Commission and Airport Land Use for Orange County.
He currently has been endorsed by both Costa Mesa Council Members Alan Mansoor and Wendy Leece.
What about the debt to Rohrabacher that Righeimer still owes?
Will he ever pay this back or is he permanently in thrall to the crazy guy?
Denizen of the Gilbertocracy
I’ll try to reach Jim and get his take on your inquiry.
You’re talking about “carpetbagger” Jim Righeimer, who conveniently moved to Costa Mesa from Fountain Valley – his old house was less than 2 miles from his current one – at the beginning of the campaign season two years ago. You’re talking about old Riggy, who is Rohrabacher’s campaign manager – the same Dana who boosted Mansoor and Leece to victory in 2006. This is the same Riggy who was appointed to the Costa Mesa Planning Commission after having lived in the city for only 7 months and filing his application AFTER the filing deadline. On the night of Riggy’s appointment Mansoor rejected a loyal foot-soldier not once, not twice, but three times so he could appoint Righeimer. It was pure partisan payback to Dana for his support. All that being said, Riggy is a smart guy and a guy who knows how to get things done with a kind of bull-in-the-china-store style. He’ll be competing with four former or current council members, including three who have been mayor. Should be an interesting race here in our wonderful little “Goat Hill”.