Mission Viejo Man Challenges City Council Term Extensions

MISSION VIEJO, CA — A Mission Viejo resident filed a legal complaint against the city in April, challenging two city council members who said they would not be up for reelection until 2024, Voice of OC reported.

Councilmembers Trish Kelley and Brian Goodell were elected to two-year terms during the 2020 election, Voice of OC said. However, the city's 2022 election ordinance states that only three seats will be on the ballet this election season.

According to the news source, the council adopted a legal agreement last year stating that all five council members would be up for reelection in 2022. Mission Viejo resident Michael Schlesinger is pushing for the council to stand by the agreement by use of legal complaint, Voice of OC said.

“The [March 8] ordinance makes clear that the City will not call an election for the expiring seats of council members Kelley and Goodell,” the complaint said. “This hastily adopted ordinance that purports to avoid placing those seats (or districts corresponding to them) up for election in November 2022 is invalid. By failing to call elections for all five city council seats, as required by the Amended Stipulated Judgment, the City is acting illegally.”

To read more about the Mission Viejo City Council term limit extensions, read the full article on Voice of OC.