Opinion: Why is the Musical Chairs Game Being Played at Irvine Commissions?
The Irvine Musical Chairs Game has been played for decades during election seasons. And various city council members, former and present, have played this game in Irvine. The main players are Irvine city council members. The secondary players are some of the candidates that these city council members have endorsed for the upcoming Irvine elections. The playing field is the Irvine Commissions.
As this game is played in Irvine, the person who gets the prize is not the one who had the best luck or quickest leg work. Rather, it is a planned event with prearranged winners. The prize is the visibility that the ballot designation and a seat on one of the Irvine Commissions provides. When a candidate is able to include the title of Commissioner on the ballot, it is seen as a vote booster for that candidate. An additional prize is the possibility for city council members to build political machines for themselves.
Let’s take a closer look at the Irvine Musical Chairs Game as it is currently being played.
The Players
Following are the main players as well as the secondary players associated with them who are participating in the current version of the Irvine Musical Chairs Game.
Irvine Councilmember Tammy Kim: Kim is running for mayor and has endorsed the following candidates running for city council seats: Melissa Liu, running in District 1; William Go, running in District 2; Jing Sun, running in District 3.
Irvine Councilmember Mike Carroll: Carroll is running for reelection to his city council seat in District 4, and he is running as part of a slate. The slate includes John Park, running in District 1, and James Mai, running in District 3.
Irvine Councilmember Kathleen Treseder: Treseder is about two years into her first four year term on the city council. So, she is not running for any Irvine offices at this time. However, among other endorsements, Treseder has endorsed Jeff Starke, who is running for a council seat in District 2.
Irvine Councilmember Larry Agran: Agran is running for mayor, and among Agran’s endorsements is Tom Chomyn. Chomyn is running for city council in District 3.
Is Mayor Khan Playing the Musical Chairs Game This Election Season?
Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan is not running for political office at this time. However, there are a few things to keep an eye on.
First, Steven Huang resigned as Khan’s Planning Commissioner at the July 17 Planning Commission meeting. Although Huang has been Khan’s Planning Commission appointee since December 2018, he is now citing a heavy workload at his place of employment as his reason for leaving his planning commission position. Is the timing of Huang’s resignation during an election season just a coincidence or does another reason exist? Who will Khan appoint to be her new planning commissioner? Will it be someone who Khan has endorsed for a city council seat, and will that someone have an appropriate amount of relevant experience?
Second, about a month ago, Khan replaced Jiao Wang with Lee Sun as her Finance Commissioner. In the near future, will we see Sun announce a run for office in 2024? And, if so, will Khan endorse Sun?
We will have to wait to see to what degree Khan plays the Irvine Musical Chairs Game this time around. However, what we do know now is that Khan has played this game in the past.
Game On: The Details
The recent commission seat appointments, which city council members bestowed on some of their endorsed city council candidates, played out as follows.
Community Services Commission
Councilmember Kim, who is running for mayor, recently replaced her Community Services Commissioner Naz Hadid with Jing Sun. Jing Sun is running for a city council seat in District 3, and Kim has endorsed him. Since he was Agran’s Community Services Commissioner up to the moment Kim recruited him to be her commissioner on the Community Services Commission, Jing Sun has a lot of commission experience. However, Naz Hadid, Kim’s former Community Services Commissioner, also has a lot of commission experience and seemed well regarded. This new appointment by Kim resulted in Agran’s Community Services Commissioner seat being vacant.
*As stated, Kim’s “appropriation” of Jing Sun, Agran’s former Community Services Commissioner, left Agran’s Community Services Commission appointed seat vacant. Agran recently appointed Tom Chomyn, one of his endorsed candidates for a city council seat, to fill this commission seat. So, Agran did not push aside his former appointee to fill this seat with one of his endorsed candidates. However, Agran did fill the seat created by the “defection” of Jing Sun with one of his city council endorsed candidates. Chomyn says he has an urban planning background. Is that Chomyn’s experience sufficient to make him the best fit for this commission position?
Councilmember Carroll, who is running for reelection in District 4, recently replaced his Community Services Commissioner Kevin Trussell with James Mai. Mai is running for city council in District 3 and is on a slate with Carroll. Mai has relevant experience; however, Trussell has 14 years of commission experience. Also, Carroll had seemed satisfied with Trussell’s work on the Community Services Commission. So, why the change at this time?
Transportation Commission
Councilmember Tammy Kim recently replaced her Transportation Commissioner Ken Montgomery with William Go. Go is Kim’s endorsed candidate for the city council seat in District 2. When it comes to experience, it would be difficult to find someone with more experience on Irvine commissions and well versed in transportation matters than Montgomery. Also, Montgomery seemed to be well regarded as a Transportation Commissioner. When compared to Montgomery’s relevant experience, Go’s experience is minimal.
Councilmember Carroll recently replaced his Transportation Commissioner Sidney Wu with John Park. Park is running for a city council seat in District 1 and is on a slate with Carroll. Park has been around Irvine politics for a while and has relevant experience. However, Wu has been Carroll’s Transportation Commissioner for some time, so the timing of this change draws questions.
Finance Commission
Councilmember Tammy Kim recently replaced her Finance Commissioner Ajay Mohan with Melinda Liu. Liu is Kim’s endorsed candidate for the city council seat in District 1. When it comes to relevant experience, Liu’s experience appears limited, and Mohan had been Kim’s Finance Commissioner for many years. So, again, why a change at this time?
One of the most recent additions to the Irvine Musical Chairs Game is Councilmember Treseder. Treseder replaced her Finance Commissioner Max Wong with Jeff Starke. Treseder has endorsed Starke in his run for a city council seat in District 2. Starke’s relevant experience appears limited.
The Endgame
Let’s review.
In many cases, council members have been willing to push aside their former commission appointee to make room for their endorsed city council candidates. This is in spite of the city council members seeming to have been satisfied with the work of their former commissioners. Also, the relevant experience of the new Irivne commissioners is sometimes limited when compared to the commissioner that they displaced.
In addition, it takes some time for new commission appointees to get up to speed. Compound that with the following:
- Three of the five Community Services Commission seats are recent appointees.
- Three of the five Finance Commission seats are recent appointees.
- Two of the five Transportation Commission seats are recent appointees.
- One of the five Planning Commission seats is vacant.
In spite of the disruption caused by these recent changes, many current city council members and council candidates have been willing to participate in the Irivne Musical Chairs Game.
Also, it is an election year. The advantage to candidates of being able to claim the designation of Commissioner on a ballot is often highly valued at election times. In addition, the opportunity for city council members to build political machines for themselves is heightened during election seasons.
So, again, why have these council members and their endorsed candidates been willing to participate in this current version of the Irvine Musical Chairs Game? Could it be that all involved are more interested in the possibility of providing themselves with a political advantage than in ensuring the most efficient and competent running of the Irvine commissions?
Now that you have had a look at how the Irvine Musical Chairs Game is currently being played, what do you think of the this game and all involved?
*Statement from Community Services Commission Chair Jing Sun: “Chair Sun was asked to resign [by Agran], so there is no defection. Also, Chair Sun has no resentment with this request.”
9 Comments
Branda Lin
July 19, 2024 at 11:17 amThis has always happened before the election, but I don’t recall this many changes all within 5 months of the election. The problem with this is now highlighted due to having districted elections. This puts a strain on city staff and ultimately disrupts the Commissions with so many who need training and time to become familiar with their roles and responsibilities. In Mayor Khan’s case, her Commissioners only have 5 months left to serve given she is not running for re-election. So why all these changes if not to give somebody a ballot designation? Set terms or perhaps an application process may be worth looking into for Irvine’s Commissions to avoid this madness from happening again.
edmondsmeyerson
July 19, 2024 at 2:05 pmAlso Ayn Craciun, who is running for council in district 4, is endorsed by Councilmember Kathleen Treseder. She is the chair of the Sustainability commission and has been for some time. This is not a change but the plan was in place for some time.
Sylvia Walker
July 20, 2024 at 11:10 amSince Craciun has been on the Sustainability Commission/Green Ribbon Committee for many years, I don’t think that Craciun being on the Sustainability Commission can be seen as part of the Irvine Musical Chairs Game.
Sylvia Walker
July 20, 2024 at 11:13 amI agree that reform of the commission appointment process in Irvine is needed. I hope that the city council will make this an agenda items and make needed change.
Scott Hansen
July 21, 2024 at 6:49 pmThank you for this, Sylvia. I feel your writing is clear, well-organized, and thoughtful, per usual. My perspective is a bit different. I see an important public interest in giving promising candidates a little experience on a commission. I sense odds are good voters will elect at least one recently-appointed commissioner to the Council. In a few short months, they’ll appoint and work with their own commissioner team. The big benefit to the public of preparing incoming council outweighs short-term shuffling on the commissions, in my opinion. Thank you.
Sylvia Walker
July 22, 2024 at 10:04 amIf a council member wants to give someone someone who they think would be a good future city council member some inside Irivne government experience, then that council member should appoint that person to a Irvine commission position before the election season begins. Otherwise, appointing a council member’s endorsed city council candidate to a commission seat shortly before an election, reeks of playing politics. Then there is the disruption that occurs when so many new commissioners are appointed shortly before an election.
Luis Huang
July 23, 2024 at 11:16 pmIt’s all politics and influence. With 6 districts represented by each individual district city council member, and the mayor comprising of 7 votes, all elected officials realize the simple math. 1 vote < 2 votes < 3 votes. The best way to get 3 votes is to endorse multiple candidates and ensure their victories. The best way to ensure these candidates with zero political experience is to ensure a seat on these commissions, and thereby give several of these candidates at least nominal experience as commissioners. It's all politics and influence.
Side-note: Farrah Khan's political career is essentially over. Khan has very little to gain by nominating commissioners.
Sylvia Walker
July 26, 2024 at 9:42 amLuius Huang, Yes, it is all too much about politics and influence instead of what is in the public interest, unfortunately. So, all the more reason that these actions need to be highlighted, so that the council members and their associated will be less likely to participate in the Musculus Chairs Game or something similar due to the negative publicity al the various players would receive.
Sylvia Walker
July 26, 2024 at 9:47 amAlso, it might seem to some that Mayor Khan’s political career is at an end; however, Khan might not recognize it that way. In any case, Khan’s recent actions show that she is still playing the game. So, it would be a good idea to keep an eye on Khan’s action going forward.
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