Newport Beach City Council members decided one of the oldest municipal advocacy groups in the state went too far when it supported Prop 1 and this week decided to bail out of the organization. 

City officials in Newport Beach say Prop 1 – if passed – would mean an increase to more group homes in a city already grappling with an abundance of sober living and mental health treatment homes. 

“We need to do whatever we can to protect residents and give them the quality of life they should have,” Councilman Brad Avery said during Tuesday’s public meeting. 

It comes as Prop 1 – a $6.4 billion statewide bond aimed at increasing mental health services and housing for homeless people – sits in a near dead heat.

The “Yes” votes were ahead by roughly 24,000 ballots statewide as of Wednesday evening — earlier that day, the margin was just over 4,000 votes.   

[Read: How Will California’s Prop. 1 Impact Orange County’s Mental Health Funding?]

The night before, Newport Beach City Council members voted 5-2 to withdraw from the League of California Cities, one of the oldest municipal lobbyist groups in the state that helps keep cities informed of what state laws are coming and help them with legislative advocacy. 

“I sincerely believe Newport Beach’s participation is a vital component of our advocacy efforts, especially related to sober living facilities,” said Connor Medina, regional public affairs director for the CA League of Cities, who attended Tuesday’s Newport Beach council meeting.

As of Tuesday, Medina told the council members that 476 out of 482 California cities are members. 

Medina said none of Newport Beach’s membership dues were spent advocating for Prop 1 and he added the organization is gearing up to help cities roll out the mental health measure since it could pass. 

“Having the city with us during these conversations will allow CalCities to be more effective,” he said.  

Council members Robyn Grant and Erik Weigand, while expressing concerns about prop one and the League’s support of it, voted against leaving – saying it’s still beneficial for Newport Beach to have some influence on state legislation. 

“I acknowledge that this is sort of a Sacramento-down organization and we do battle that, but it’s important for us to have a strong voice here to send up to Sacramento,” Grant said. 

It isn’t the first time in OC that efforts by the League of California Cities have drawn notice and protest. Years back, a group of local city leaders banded together to form the Association of California Cities-Orange County, which includes Newport Beach. 

Over the years, some council members throughout OC have questioned the need for being a member of both organizations. 

Mayor Will O’Neill said the League of California Cities’ support for Prop 1 – despite the city’s objections – went too far. 

“It’s just unfathomable to me that when CalCities knew this was going to be harmful to a city like ours, they stood up and said we’re going to support it,” O’Neill said. “I just can’t support sending more taxpayer dollars to an organization that hurt us so badly.” 

Orange County Wrestles With Group Homes 

Tuesday’s discussion marked a years-long debate, especially among Orange County’s coastal cities, on just how to deal with the proliferation of group homes and the barriers to regulating them. 

[Read: Orange County Continues Grappling With Rehab Centers as Opioid Crisis Worsens]

It’s a countywide issue that caught the attention of the OC Grand Jury, which found local officials are often hamstrung when trying to regulate group homes. 

“The State wields a large club with its power of approval of the required Housing Element. The California Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) is withholding approval for cities that have ordinances attempting to place limits or impose oversight on group homes. Cities are then vulnerable to a loss of control over zoning and permitting, as well as loss of State and regional funding,” reads a 2023 grand jury report. 

Councilwoman Lauren Kleiman said Prop 1 could worsen the situation if it passes. 

“This has the potential to have tremendous effect on the city when we’re already suffering the existing impacts of being a primary target market on a lucrative and unregulated industry,” Kleiman said during Tuesday’s meeting. 

Councilman John Stapleton said his surrounding community is already struggling with the proliferation of group homes. 

“There’s no doubt that mental health facilities in residence – in neighborhoods – on my side of town is one of the biggest threats to quality of life,” Stapleton said. “This is going to be a huge threat to the quality of life of residents.”

Avery said poorly run group homes could have a detrimental effect on the people they’re supposed to serve. 

“It’s not only just for our residents, but it’s for people who are in these institutions – these programs – if they’re not cared for, they’re going to have bad outcomes and we’ve seen that happen.” 

Spencer Custodio is the civic editor. You can reach him at scustodio@voiceofoc.org. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerCustodio.