I would like to speak against the recall of Mayor Christina Shea and Council member Mike Carroll. This is a campaign strategy by Kevork Nazar Abazajian, the 5th place loser in the 2018 Irvine City Council election to promote his 2020 run for Mayor.
This irresponsible action to recall Mayor Shea and Council Member Carroll will cost the Irvine taxpayers close to $1 million for a special election. It will also stop the anticipated Irvine Veterans cemetery at the Great Park.
As far as the Veterans Cemetery is concerned, the Golf Course site is far more preferable to the costly ARDA site. Looking at this fiscally, the Golf Course site will cost $40 million less than the ARDA site. The $28 million pledged by Five Points Holding for the Golf Course site is a dedicated requirement of Five Points for not developing the golf course and to develop the cemetery. Also, the ARDA site does not meet Federal VA standards, will cost $91 million, is close to three schools, and is opposed by local residents. All of the real veterans support the Golf Course site. The only ones against it include Former Council Member Larry Agran and his small group of his brainwashed clones who never let the facts get in the way of confusing Irvine citizens.
As far as Mayor Shea is concerned, there was no back room deal as Kevork Abazajian describes. Former Mayor Don Wagner won the special election to the Board Of Supervisors and the municipal code requires that the Mayor Pro Tempore to assume the role of Mayor for the remainder of the term. In 2016, Mayor Shea was the top vote getter among the 12 that ran for the council seat by upwards of 5,000 votes. Also, Mike Carroll was appointed to the Irvine City Council with bi-partisan support. As a Commission Chair I work closely with Mayor Shea and Council Member Carroll. They are great public servants and continue to serve the best interest of the citizens.
I stand against this misguided recall.
Steve Greenberg is Chair of The Irvine Transportation Commission, Director of The Colony Homeowners Association and Former Committee Member of the Irvine Investment Advisory Committee and the Irvine Green Ribbon Committee
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