NEWPORT BEACH : Petitions to Limit Council Terms Fail

A measure to limit City Council members to two consecutive terms, or eight years, has been disqualified because petitioners were 281 signatures short of the required 6,559 names.

Review by the Orange County registrar of voters found that 1,069 of the 7,347 signatures submitted by the citizens group Newport Residents to Limit Council Terms were invalid, City Clerk Wanda Raggio said. Only residents of Newport Beach who were registered voters as of May 7 could be counted.

Of the 1,069 signatures found invalid, 142 were thrown out because they were duplicates of previously counted names.

After learning of the decision, Janine Gault, head of the residents’ group, said that the council should recognize that 6,000 voters want the matter on the ballot and that they should get their wish.

Limiting council terms requires an amendment to the city charter, which must be voted on by the citizens. At least 15% of the city’s 43,729 registered voters must sign the petitions to have the amendment placed on the November ballot.