By Michèle Monda
While it’s admirable that residents serve their community in elected offices, some are reluctant to give up their power. They seem to believe what Andrew Carnegie stated – “Immense power is acquired by assuring yourself . . . that you were born to control affairs.”
Entrenched electeds employ two tactics to retain control and power: refusal to accept term limits and refusal to share leadership positions.
Until recently, our city council’s tradition was that councilmembers would rotate mayor and pro tem positions. This ensured that presiding officers represented councilmembers’ constituencies and no faction monopolized the agenda. The school board rotated, too, even requiring it under a binding bylaw.
But the school board violated its own bylaw and ended rotation, and then the city council did the same. We’re witnessing the de facto ruling party monopolization of both bodies.
Without rotating presiding officers, term limits are the only way to ensure a more open democracy. Term limits expand participation, diversity and enable more people to help their town. Only councilman George Weiss supports term limits – the other councilmembers refuse.
Councilman Bob Whalen is a case in point. Whalen has been on city council for almost twelve years and is seeking another four. He’s been mayor five times and pro tem twice. He’s been in control for seven years of his twelve-year tenure – almost 60% of his time in office. He and Mayor Sue Kempf keep passing the titles back and forth to maintain a stranglehold on power.
This control doesn’t seem to advance a resident-friendly or fiscally responsible agenda. Despite backlash from residents, Whalen voted to acquire the $2.7 million Ti Amo property without an appraisal. He spearheaded the Presbyterian Church parking structure that would have cost residents $12 million to build, not including lease and operational costs over 50 years. At the end – the church would’ve gotten it free and clear, plus all income from parking. Residents – nothing.
Now, Whalen wants to acquire, underground and beautify Laguna Canyon road for $150 million plus $12 million in annual liability costs and an unknown amount for annual maintenance and staffing. Where’s that money coming from since the council refused to raise any kind of revenue at a recent council meeting? Residents.
Whalen also wants to build a parking structure at city hall for 300-400 visitor cars at an unknown cost. He says we need to manage visitor impacts. Is encouraging them to come with more resident-funded parking the answer?
In Whalen’s 12 years, city staff has increased 35% to 336 staff members, while the city’s population dropped by almost a thousand between 2020 and 2023. The city budget went from $70 million in 2013 to a projected $147 million this fiscal year. We need new eyes looking at these increases.
As for the school board, president Jan Vickers is seeking her 11th term. She’s served some 40 years. First elected in 1980, she was recalled in 1987 for voting to retain a football coach arrested on felony drug possession, trafficking and resisting arrest charges. She served two terms in the 90s and has now been on the school board consecutively since 2000.
In the past ten years, she’s been president six times, 60% of the time. Vickers served three consecutive terms from 2017 to 2020 and is currently serving two consecutive terms. She voted to ignore board bylaws on rotating the presidency and then voted several months later to change the bylaws – apparently to deny another board member from becoming president and maintain her own control of the agenda.
Vickers championed the questionable $19 million 50-meter pool serving only 79 water polo students, but can’t accommodate community swim activities or swim lessons for children. The pool’s extensive construction will disrupt the community, school and Park Avenue (an evacuation route) for three years. A renovated 35-meter pool could serve all those functions at a fraction of the cost. Vickers also voted to transfer $10 million out of the general fund into the facilities fund in the last six months for this project.
Recently, 120 students and parents implored the school board to resurrect the special needs program that the superintendent disbanded. Vickers responded that the school board was not to be blamed. Yet, the state mandates that the school board is indeed responsible for what happens in the district and can change decisions. The board directs the superintendent, not the other way around.
That’s not how she wants it, apparently. She allows the superintendent to develop policy, and the board rubberstamps his decisions. In fact, she voted to give the superintendent a four-year contract instead of the usual two-year contract. So, who’s running the district?
Term limits would solve these problems of excessive control by a few individuals. It’s time for new blood and new perspectives. Vote accordingly.
Michèle is a 21-year Laguna resident and actively follows Laguna politics. She is the treasurer of Laguna Beach Sister Cities and is involved with the local arts scene. She can be reached at Michelemonda3@gmail.com.
I want to thank Michele Monda for her insightful letter and strongly support her suggestion of implementing term limits for our City Council and School Board. Term limits are not just about bringing in fresh ideas—they are essential for preventing the concentration of power that we’ve seen in our community. When individuals hold onto leadership positions for too long, it creates an imbalance, and we risk falling into a leadership culture that leans toward authoritarianism.
We are already seeing the signs: the refusal to rotate leadership roles, the lack of accountability, and decisions that benefit special interests over the will of the residents. This concentration of power breeds an environment where decisions are made behind closed doors, where transparency is lost, and where those in control are more likely to disregard community input. It’s no longer about what’s best for the students, families, and citizens of Laguna Beach, but about serving the agendas of a select few who fund these campaigns or benefit from these decisions.
If we don’t address this now, we are handing down a deeply troubling legacy to the next generation—one where community leaders prioritize their own interests or the interests of powerful developers over the needs of the people they were elected to serve. This authoritarian-leaning culture leads to a lack of trust in local government, disengagement from the political process, and a diminished sense of community. Our young people are watching this unfold, and the lesson they take away could very well be that leadership is about consolidating power rather than serving the public.
We must see through the slick advertising and campaign messaging that often leads to the election of candidates who serve these special interest groups. We need leaders who are committed to serving the entire community, who are willing to rotate leadership and invite diverse voices into the conversation, and who will uphold the democratic principles that our town values so deeply.
Let’s be vigilant in supporting candidates who will work for the people, not for those with the biggest checkbook.
Thanks for addressing this issue. Sadly no matter how many times residents request the right to determine the years of service by elected’s through voter approved Term Limits, multi-term controlling council members Bob Whalen (12) and Sue Kempf (6) refuse to listen.
I have personally advocated for Term Limits for a decade. I’ve spoken publicly at Council meetings for years requesting Term Limits be put on the ballot for the vote of the public like the majority of OC cities citizens have been given. Fact: Term Limits have passed by wide margins by voters when allowed to vote on them.
My public Term Limit plea published in the Indy is below. It was completely ignored by both Whalen and Kempf along with multiple emails requests on the issue.
https://www.lagunabeachindy.com/letter-why-no-term-limits/
At the recent LCC Candidate Forum 12 year incumbent and opposer of Elected’s Term Limits Bob Whalen advised attendees that he won’t step down unless voters decide that for him. I get it – year’s of government empire building, political power, influence and spending taxpayer monies on self-interests isn’t something easy to lose.
But it’s time. 12 years of ignoring and silencing constituents is enough. It’s not acceptable for Whalen nor anyone we elect to refuse our right to vote on our public officials terms of service and other critical decisions.
Candidates Judie Mancuso and George Weiss support Term Limits for elected’s. They also support full government transparency, finance conservation, tourism management and community and environmental protection.
They will get my votes November 5th.