Mark Orgill

“I am open to studying election reforms, including runoffs, ranked-choice voting and term limits, but I would not assume that Seal Beach's system is automatically right for Laguna Beach. Seal Beach elects one representative from each district; Laguna voters elect multiple councilmembers citywide. In a multi-seat election, voters may choose several candidates, so receiving votes on fewer than half of all ballots does not mean a majority voted against that candidate. Any review should identify the problem we are trying to solve and compare costs, voter participation, representation and unintended consequences. District elections could divide a small city into political boundaries, while a separate runoff would add expense and may reduce turnout. I support an open, evidence-based public discussion, but any major change should be clearly explained and decided by Laguna Beach voters.”

Written response · answer only

“My minimum acceptable outcome is preserving a best-in-class, 24-hour emergency department and meaningful inpatient acute-care capability in Laguna Beach, whether at the existing hospital or through a feasible replacement. An urgent-care center alone is not an adequate substitute for a community with constrained access, millions of annual visitors, and serious wildfire and evacuation risks. The City should continue negotiating with Providence while simultaneously evaluating other operators, nonprofit or public ownership, a healthcare district or joint-powers partnership, alternative sites, state legislative relief, grants, and philanthropy. I would consider voter-approved financing only after independent analysis establishes the community's healthcare needs, seismic and retrofit options, capital and operating costs, and a credible operator. We should act urgently, but we should not promise that the City can operate a hospital without first establishing its medical, legal, and financial feasibility.”

Written response · answer only

“Yes. I support one complete public accounting of Promenade-related expenditures. It should separately identify the temporary pandemic-era closure, permanent design and construction, infrastructure, furnishings, maintenance, lost meter revenue, grants and restricted funds, and work that would have been required regardless of the Promenade. It should include approved budgets, contracts, change orders, credits and the final project cost. That accounting should also explain what the community received. The Promenade grew from the community-driven Vision Laguna 2030 effort and its call for a more pedestrian-oriented downtown. From time to time, I hear that we could have retained vehicle traffic while adding parklets for expanded outdoor dining. While that hybrid approach would have provided dining space, it would not have created a complete promenade: a community social and gathering space free from automobiles and the noise, congestion and safety risks of vehicle traffic. Residents deserve both the complete numbers and the complete context.”

Written response · answer only

“I would not support a special tax imposed only on restaurants. Residents patronize our restaurants, and many local establishments already operate on narrow margins. I do believe visitors should contribute more toward the services their presence requires. I support peak-period visitor parking rates, while preserving meaningful resident parking benefits, and fair market-based fees for exclusive commercial use of public space. Revenue generated from those sources should be transparently dedicated to visitor-related costs such as public safety, marine safety, sanitation, transportation, parking management and environmental stewardship. I also helped redirect approximately $500,000 annually from tourism promotion toward City stewardship. The principle should be simple: identify costs created by visitor volume, use lawful revenue mechanisms that most directly reach visitors, protect resident-serving businesses, and publicly report how the money is spent.”

Written response · answer only

“I support the City using the most effective professionally recommended process within the next 12 months and before the peak 2027 fire season to ensure that an actual emergency evacuation would be as safe, orderly and seamless as possible. That may include neighborhood evacuation exercises, phased drills, evacuation modeling, communications testing or a combination of approaches. The appropriate methods should be determined by our Fire and Police departments in consultation with emergency-management professionals. The process should test notifications, traffic control, evacuation routes, emergency-vehicle access, backup communications, assistance for residents with mobility or transportation needs, and regional coordination. Results should be documented publicly, including identified bottlenecks, communication failures, corrective measures, responsible departments and completion dates. The purpose is to learn what works, identify weaknesses and improve our readiness before an actual emergency.”

Written response · answer only

“Before supporting a new tax or fee, I would continue reducing reliance on outside legal and consulting services, targeting savings of several hundred thousand dollars annually as appropriate work moves to our in-house Legal Department and qualified City staff. The tradeoff would be fewer outside-consultant hours and potentially longer timelines for lower-priority studies; specialized legal and technical expertise would still be retained when necessary. I would also require a five-year financial forecast and a review of vacancies, contracts and the timing of discretionary capital projects before asking residents for additional revenue. Essential public safety, infrastructure maintenance and direct resident services should be protected. Responsible budgeting does not mean selecting an arbitrary essential service to eliminate before the purpose and amount of a proposed tax are known. It means demonstrating that efficiencies and lower-priority spending have been addressed first.”

Written response · answer only

“Ten years from now, I would be proudest if Laguna had continued strengthening our Fire and Police services, wildfire prevention, emergency medical response and evacuation readiness while implementing a community-stewardship framework through the General Plan and Local Coastal Program. Built around culture, heritage and the environment, that framework would protect coastal access while safeguarding our neighborhoods, infrastructure, artistic community, historic character and natural resources. My experience as a builder, business owner, civic leader and councilmember, and relationships established locally and with government agencies, give me a distinctive ability to bring people together and move this work from vision to implementation. If I am not elected, I would fear losing that momentum and losing what makes Laguna unique through unmanaged visitor pressure, environmental decline, state mandates, and the displacement of artists, businesses and community institutions. Change is inevitable; losing Laguna's culture, heritage, environment and sense of community is not.”

Written response · answer only