On July 7th, Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark and Deputy Mayor Pat Burns of Huntington Beach City attended a community event organized by the Orange County Eagle Forum to introduce the city’s governance and achievements.
In 2018, Van Der Mark first participated in the Eagle Forum event as an “angry mom” due to school issues that angered many parents. She attempted to run for the school board with the support of the forum but lost by a margin of 2,000 votes. At the end of 2022, Van Der Mark was elected as a city council member, becoming the Mayor at the end of 2023, working on various reforms with the council members.
The California Attorney General and the Department of Housing and Community Development sued Huntington Beach for ignoring the housing crisis and needs of homeless and low-income individuals, resisting the state’s (high-density) housing construction projects.
“We have received feedback from many cities saying they appreciate our actions but choose not to join the lawsuit, waiting to see how the governor handles the situation,” Van Der Mark said. “We didn’t want to be at the forefront of this battle, but it affects the lives of Huntington Beach residents.”
Regarding the requirement to build 13,368 units of low-income affordable housing, Van Der Mark mentioned that much of the city’s available land is protected wetlands, making it a challenge to meet the low-income housing target.
In 2020, Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) was established in Irvine, with Irvine, Buena Park, Huntington Beach, and Fullerton joining the program to be powered by renewable energy, while other cities continue using electricity provided by Edison Company.
Renewable energy sources include solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, ocean, and biomass energy, with OCPA purchasing these sources externally. Van Der Mark stated that for Huntington Beach residents, withdrawing from Edison was a good deal with zero costs. OCPA faced criticism last year for lack of transparency and management issues, hindering new city additions. Residents of related cities were concerned that Huntington Beach’s withdrawal might increase OCPA’s costs, leading to price hikes.
One of the municipal measures passed was the choice not to mandate masking or vaccinations, allowing individuals to decide but not facing job loss for their choice.
Regarding the establishment of the “Parent Book Review Committee” within the city government, which faced opposition, Van Der Mark clarified: “We only review problematic books,” ensuring no banned books but relocating unsuitable ones to the adult section.
She emphasized the importance of being people-centered, with community first and honesty as priorities, trying to find common ground between opposing sides to avoid division or fueling disagreement.
During the meetings, library staff stated that parents lacked understanding of student needs, with some full-time mothers having insufficient reading skills. Van Der Mark, drawing on her experience as a full-time mother for over 20 years, emphasized the effort needed to raise productive members of society, likening book restrictions to alcohol, smoking, and movie ratings restrictions for children, where parents aim to provide healthy reading materials.
In the 2024 primaries, two municipal measures were overwhelmingly supported by voters in Huntington Beach, requiring voter ID in municipal elections and displaying only government, POW/MIA, and Summer Olympics flags on government buildings. California currently does not mandate voter ID.
Opponents argued that marginalized groups may struggle to obtain IDs, but Van Der Mark, coming from a low-income minority community background, cited the necessity of IDs for accessing government assistance, questioning why it’s required for healthcare but not for voting.
“Some people exploit minority groups to push flawed policies that ultimately harm us,” she commented. “Welfare can sustain life but won’t bring true success.” Van Der Mark recounted interactions in a Hispanic community where people grew frustrated with expensive living costs, reducing social gatherings with family and friends.
Deputy Mayor Burns discussed the issue of displaying (LGBT) flags, believing it should be a taxpayer decision and that the government should remain neutral, avoiding favoritism toward any specific group. He stressed the common humanity shared beyond differences in skin color, gender, or age.
Burns remarked that displaying flags could be done in private spaces. ◇