The original interview was conducted on March 3rd, 2026. A follow-up was posed right before the publication of this interview. Questions and Responses have been edited for clarity. Utilities Christopher Wong: Cottie Petrie Norris recently sent out a newsletter saying they negotiated a small decrease at the beginning of this year, but SCE announced additional […]
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Alarms have been sounding recently about the City of Irvine’s financial condition. In late February came the news that the Great Park’s operating budget was facing a structural deficit, with a current year shortfall of $7.5 million potentially increasing to $12.7 million in Fiscal Year 2029-2030. Less than two months later, the other shoe dropped […]
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In a tense Tuesday evening session on April 14, 2026, the Irvine City Council grappled with a looming fiscal crisis, the first of this magnitude in the city’s 54-year history. Tuesday’s meeting took place against a sobering backdrop, as recent city staff briefings revealed: $6 million overspend in the past fiscal year. $9 million shortfall […]
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On Thursday, March 19, 2026, the Irvine Planning Commission held a public hearing regarding the future of the Oak Creek Golf Club and its surrounding area. A proposed change to the language of the Irvine Zoning Ordinance was the focal point of the hearing. This change would allow the Irvine Company to establish an Alternative […]
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In a decisive move that could help to reshape the future of Irvine’s electoral landscape, the Irvine-based club Democrats of Greater Irvine (DGI) voted last week to officially support the adoption of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for both Irvine City Council and Mayoral races. The motion passed with a resounding 75% supermajority, signaling a unified […]
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In local governance, the line between “networking” and “conflict of interest” is often defined by transparency. Recent reports regarding Irvine Councilmember and Great Park Board Chair William Go have raised significant ethical questions following a private meeting with Harrison Taylor, the Director of Development and Leasing for Almquist, the developer behind the Great Park’s “Canopy” […]
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