The Good Governance Guarantee
Clear rules. Clear roles. Clear accountability.
Earlier this year, Costa Mesa considered, and ultimately rejected, a proposed Code of Ethics and Conduct. I think we should bring the conversation back.
But I also think we can improve the policy.
Because ethics isn’t etiquette.
Please and thank you are manners.
Knowing where your authority begins and ends is governance.
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Disclosing conflicts is governance.
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Protecting taxpayer resources is governance.
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Ensuring individual council members don’t interfere with personnel decisions, permits, or contracts is governance.
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Protecting professional staff so they can give honest advice without fear of retaliation is governance.
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And having a credible accountability process when serious questions arise is governance.
And now is exactly the time to do this.
This November, Costa Mesa voters will choose a mayor and councilmembers in Districts 3, 4 and 5. We have a rare opportunity to begin the next chapter at City Hall with a shared understanding of how we govern.
Not rules written for one person. Not standards aimed at one political faction. A commitment that applies to all of us.
What if the next City Council came together at the beginning of its term and said:
These are our lanes. These are the guardrails. These are the standards we’re willing to hold ourselves to—and the standards residents can hold us to, too?
That’s why I’m proposing
a Good Governance Guarantee for Costa Mesa.
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CLEAR ROLES.
Councilmembers set policy, establish priorities and hold management accountable. Individual councilmembers don’t run city departments.
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TRANSPARENT DECISIONS.
Conflicts and significant interests should be disclosed, and residents should be able to understand how important decisions are made.
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PROFESSIONAL INDEPENDENCE.
City employees should be able to give elected officials their best professional advice without political intimidation or retaliation.
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NO BACK-CHANNEL CITY HALL.
Contracts, permits, appointments and development applications should follow clear processes — not depend on who has access to an individual councilmember.
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PUBLIC OFFICE IS A PUBLIC TRUST.
City resources and governmental authority should never be used for personal or political advantage.
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REAL ACCOUNTABILITY.
Serious allegations involving public officials deserve a fair, credible review process.
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AND POLITICAL DISAGREEMENT?
That’s democracy. We don’t need an ethics policy telling elected officials they have to agree—or even that they always have to be nice to one another.
We need guardrails for how we use the power you’ve entrusted to us.
I've reported on government. I’ve worked inside city government. I’ve built and run an organization. And I’ve served within Costa Mesa’s appointed governance structure.
I know that strong organizations aren’t built around personalities. They’re built around systems, clear responsibilities and accountability.
Costa Mesa is about to reshape City Hall. Let’s give the next council a strong foundation from day one.
If you elect me to represent District 3, I will advance the Good Governance Guarantee in my first 100 days and work with my new colleagues to establish a standard we can all stand behind. I’m not asking the next council to agree on everything. I’m asking us to agree on how we govern.
Help me get there. Send me to City Hall and let’s build a City Council you can trust.
Clear rules. Clear roles. Clear accountability.
