Five candidates are running for two seats on the five-member Rancho Santa Margarita City Council in Districts 1 and 2.
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Incumbent Brad McGirr faced no opposition in District 4.
The Orange County Register invited candidates to participate in its voter guide, and several responded to a series of questions on housing, city finances, transparency, and more.
Here is a snapshot of some of their responses; read more for this race and others up and down the ballot at ocregister.com/voter-guide.
District 1
In District 1, which includes the neighborhoods of Robinson Ranch, Rancho Cielo, Walden, and Dove Canyon, Josh Bastian, a current planning commissioner, is facing off with Nicholas Reese, a financial operations manager.
On state-mandated housing, candidates weighed in on how the city can best meet demand and requirements for more planning, including at lower price points, while preserving local control and quality of life for residents.
Bastian said meeting housing obligations depends on respecting existing neighborhoods and property values.
“I believe cities should retain as much local control as legally possible over where and how development occurs,” he said.
“Rancho Santa Margarita should continue focusing on thoughtful infill and mixed-use opportunities in appropriate commercial and business areas, while considering infrastructure, traffic, public safety, and compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods,” he said, adding that it’s important to work with property owners and developers to encourage a range of housing options supported by adequate infrastructure and city services.
“Housing policy should not simply be about meeting a number,” he said. “It should be about responsible planning.”
Reese, who grew up in RSM, that he was home during the Airport Fire, “witnessing firsthand the cost and risks we continue to face.”
He said he’s “determined” to help keep insurance rates down and “our homes insurable.”
“Through my planned home hardening initiative, our city can pursue this by reducing property risk, leveraging state resources, and working directly with insurers — all without the need of our city’s finances,” he said.
He also emphasized keeping a balanced budget and maintaining public safety while “supporting our families and properties in new and meaningful ways, working to ensure our homes are insured, and our neighborhoods are best prepared for any emergencies.”
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District 2
Incumbent Anne Figueroa faces a challenge from Rod Ganjifard, chief technology officer at a law firm, and Natalie Guse, a business owner. The district covers the city’s center from the southwest to the northeast, including key civic and commercial areas.
On fitting the state-required housing into the community, Figueroa said that although the city is built out, the council has identified spots in town to accomodate required housing additions.
“In order for the cost of housing to be more affordable, the state of California needs to reduce regulations and make the permitting process easier to navigate for builders,” she said, noting that a reform to the California Environmental Quality Act is desperately needed.
She also emphasized the need to maintain local control over decisions.
“Every city in California is different in terms of its needs and every city has different priorities,” she said. “City councils and city staff know what’s best for their particular community. The state of California continues to pass legislation that affects all CA cities the same, which erodes a city’s local authority.”
Ganjifard said he is “all for more housing.”
“More rooftops means more people, and more people is how a city gets the things residents keep asking for,” he said. “Shops that stay open. Newer restaurants. Somewhere for our kids to go on a Friday night.”
He points to 92 acres at Chiquita Ridge along Antonio Parkway that the city has held since a 2009 settlement.
“Fifty-five are usable, a 23-acre sports park is required, and the city’s own consultants already sketched housing on what is left,” he said. “Seventeen years on, the city still says no decisions have been made. That is the piece I would move on.”
And Guse said the deliberation for more housing must be “thoughtful and collaborative,” rather than adding units just to add them.
“We should work with developers, property owners, regional partners, and organizations to explore creative opportunities for homeownership and housing at different price points,” she said. “These opportunities have to make sense within RSM’s existing character and infrastructure.”
“My goal is to meet our legal obligations responsibly while protecting what residents love about RSM,” she added. “Housing policy should be thoughtful, locally informed, and focused on creating opportunities without sacrificing the quality of life that makes people want to live here in the first place.”
Ballots can be returned by mail (must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received within a week of Election Day) or at ballot drop boxes around town now; the first vote centers will open for in-person voting on Oct. 24.
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