Measure D Fogs Irvine Council Makeup

The makeup of the Irvine City Council remains in doubt nearly a month after an election was supposed to settle the issue.

In the June 7 election, Councilman Larry Agran, who had been appointed mayor by fellow council members, became the city’s first mayor elected by voters. That left two years of his council term remaining.

Agran ally Cameron Cosgrove finished third in the June 7 council races, in which two council members were elected. Under a new city law, Cosgrove would be entitled to serve out Agran’s council term.

But then voters on June 7 also approved Measure D, which allows citizens to petition for a special election to fill an unexpired council term if they do not want the next-highest vote-getter--Cosgrove--to be seated.

Councilwoman Sally Anne Miller, who won reelection and finished 108 votes ahead of Cosgrove on June 7, plans to gather the 3,500 signatures needed to force such a special election.

But signatures collected during the petition drive must be submitted to the county registrar’s office by July 15--the same day by which Measure D results must be validated from the June 7 election by the secretary of state in Sacramento.

The chances for a special election were reduced Tuesday, when Agran and council members Edward A. Dornan and Ray Catalano refused to certify the results of both the council race and the Measure D vote.

The earliest the council could certify the results of the vote would be July 12--too late, according to officials, for validation by the state three days later.

Agran said, “I voted against certifying because there are issues and candidacies in controversy associated with the council race,” including a recount of the council election results.