Following up on my announcement late last week that I will be publishing conversations with the Costa Mesa City Council candidates, some readers were curious: what did you ask them?

So, to whet your appetite and to explain a bit more about my process, I’m happy to give you a sneak peek at the questions and topics I posed to the candidates.

To reiterate: the questions/topics within each race were identical, and every candidate was given the questions/topics 48 hours in advance. I personally chose these questions/topics and wrote them myself. The candidates — including their friends, supporters, and campaign advisors — had zero input into the questions. So if you have concerns or complaints about the topics, feel free to drop them in the comments below.

That said, these questions were chosen with a fair amount of intention. For example, we are lucky that, this cycle, every candidate holds some kind or elected or appointed position with the city, be it a City Council seat or a seat on one of our various commissions and committees. However, that means that there are topics that simply aren’t fair game for many of them. For example: I felt it wasn’t fair to ask a sitting city council member to opine on active litigation that’s in front of that body. That could pull the city into legal trouble if not handled with enormous delicacy. Asking questions like that could also force a cautious city council member to decline to answer, which could look evasive when it is actually intended to be protective of the residents’ interests.

Therefore, most questions are either posed as hypotheticals or framed in a way to get the candidates’ to discuss their general approaches to issues, rather than trying to button-hole them into particular positions. I get that might not sit well with everyone, but it’s the approach I chose.

Every interview followed the same format:

• First, the candidates were given an opportunity to introduce themselves to the audience and say a bit about why they were running for their various offices.
• Next, I asked the candidates four questions that were specific to their districts or, in the case of the Mayor’s race, focused on citywide matters or issues unique to that position.
• Then, I asked the candidates three questions that were not specific to their districts or offices.
• Finally, I ended with three “rapid fire” questions intended to let the audience get to know the candidates better and showcase their connections to Costa Mesa.

With that format in mind, here are the questions/topics, as they were previewed to the candidates in advance of the interview. Note: the wording of each question/topic as stated in the actual interview may be slightly different from the wording below, and some follow-up questions were asked that aren’t included below. The interviews were conversations, not quizzes, so I wasn’t rigid about wording each question exactly the same. However, I did my best to maintain the substance of the question. You can judge for yourselves how well I did when the interviews are published.

Introduction

Tell us who you are, why you’re running, and what in your life or work in this city led you to run for this seat specifically.

District/Office-Specific Questions

District 3

You may be asked to reflect on the specific plan for Fairview Developmental Center and balancing the needs of current and future residents.

You may be asked to reflect on the recent update to Fairview Road and your vision for the city’s street network generally.

You may be asked to consider the issue of significant visitor traffic in and around District 3 neighborhoods.

You may be asked about resident requests for more sports fields and facilities and how to address them.

District 4

You will be asked to describe how you would weigh city data versus community responses in the context of street projects like W. 19th Street.

You will be asked to reflect on the development plans for Placentia Avenue and your overall philosophy when it comes to weighing priorities in the development of new urban plans generally.

You will be asked to reflect on the city’s district voting system and how it has worked out regarding the distinctiveness of District 4 specifically.

Someone hands you $100,000 for an art initiative in District 4. Where does it go, and what would it be?

District 5

You will be asked to reflect on the “Neighborhoods Where We All Belong” outreach process and how you would handle outreach for development in District 5 in the future.

You will be asked to reflect on the Fairview Park Master Plan Update and to describe what that process may have revealed to you about the District’s – and the city’s – needs in terms of park space generally.

You will be asked to reflect on the city’s experience with retail cannabis storefronts and the lessons learned from that experience.

Newport Boulevard between 17th Street and 19th Street is Costa Mesa’s historic downtown. Do you think that is still the right way to think about that area? What do you see as that area’s challenges and opportunities?

Mayor

You will be asked to reflect on the city’s recent land use initiatives and your view on what open questions remain about the city’s housing policy.

You will be asked for your view on the city’s financial health and your view on how it can be best maintained in light of your vote on the ballot initiative to increase the business license tax.

Your opponent in this race has been serving on the city council with you for the last two years. Where have you disagreed with your opponent on a vote, and what do you believe drove that disagreement?

Win or lose, there will be a vacancy on the city council following the election. If the city council decides to appoint someone to your seat, you will have an opportunity to vote on that appointment. What qualities would you be looking for when evaluating someone for that role? Would it matter to you what the demographic or ideological makeup of the council was after the election?

Non-District/Office-Specific Questions

A UC Irvine poll released this summer found that only about 4 in 10 Orange County residents say they trust their city government most or all of the time. What do you think is the single biggest thing the city could do right now to build public trust in how the council operates?

If you win, what’s the one thing you most want people to be able to say changed because you were [representing District 3/4/5] [serving as Mayor]?

What do you foresee as a significant challenge facing the city as a whole in the next four years, and how do you think the city can best meet that challenge?

Rapid-Fire Questions

Name a place in Costa Mesa that brings you peace or happiness and explain why it makes you feel that way.

Name one Costa Mesa business that’s no longer with us that you really miss. 

What’s the best kept secret in Costa Mesa (that you are willing to share)?