Q and A -- Jim Silva

Tough issues don’t scare Jim Silva. The Huntington Beach resident and

two-term 2nd District county supervisor became embroiled in the worst

municipal bankruptcy in history one month into the job.

Before that, he handled some of Huntington Beach’s toughest issues as

a councilman and mayor -- the July 4 riots, sewage spills and, of course,

the long-running Bolsa Chica development.

With that resume, handling Newport Beach problems should be a piece of

cake, right?

Well it may not be that easy.

Still, there were great sighs of relief when it was announced that

Silva’s district, which now encompasses Costa Mesa, would grow southward

and swallow Newport Beach as well.

The biggest reason he is being welcomed with open arms? Well, that is

easy. For the last five years, Newport Beach has been represented by the

anti-El Toro 5th District supervisor, Tom Wilson.

While Wilson has been hailed in some quarters for his work on coastal

water-quality issues, that wasn’t enough to endear him to Newport Beach

folks who see the expansion of John Wayne as the greatest threat to their

quality of life.

Last week, Daily Pilot Editor Tony Dodero sat down with Silva in his

office in downtown Santa Ana to discuss his new assignment and his plans

for Newport Beach and how to tackle its biggest issues.

What will you bring to Newport Beach residents that your

predecessor didn’t as county supervisor?

I am a lifetime resident of Orange County, and I have a long history

with the city of Newport Beach. I am very aware of the traffic problems,

especially since I live less than a quarter of a mile off Pacific Coast

Highway in Huntington Beach.

How difficult will it be to get Newport Coast included in your

territory?

We didn’t find out until Monday . . . that we had to vote on the final

district map. We were told prior to that that we would be able to make

adjustments. I consider the Newport Coast to be an adjustment, and I

would very much like to have that in my district. The attorneys have

given us hope, but we’re not 100% sure. But if there is any possibility

at all we’ll do it.

If the Great Park initiative does make it on the ballot, what will

it take to defeat it?

I think the stakeholders that want the airport will have to become

actively involved. Not just the residents of Newport Beach, but the

passengers at John Wayne that are tired of paying in excess of $500 to

fly round-trip to Sacramento.

If it wins, does that effectively end any plans for an airport at

El Toro? If so, what will the county do?

If the initiative wins, the way I understand it, it will overturn

Measure A and an airport will no longer be an option for the county. The

county would have to exit the process and let the surrounding cities take

over the land. The county can’t afford to build and maintain a park. The

county still has close to a billion dollars from the bankruptcy that we

have to pay off.

El Toro is a big issue here, but what other Newport Beach and Costa

Mesa issues do you see as crucial for you to tackle at the county level?

The urban runoff is the biggest issue facing coastal communities. I’ve

been working with county officials, the sanitation district and local

city officials to try to identify the problem and working within

guidelines that will have to be created to solve this problem.

We live in absolute paradise. California is probably the greatest

state to live in and Southern California is probably the greatest

location in the state. And when you live on the coast, life doesn’t get

any better than that. So I am very happy to be able to represent the city

of Newport Beach. I’ve had nothing but nice phone calls and letter and

e-mails come in from residents of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach.

Finally, your term ends in 2002. Are you going to run again, and if

not will you seek higher office?

We are working on our campaign now. I have one more term, and I look

forward to being in office. I have been approached about higher office. I

am just looking forward to serving another term ,so I haven’t made any

decisions.

BIO

Name: Jim Silva

Birthplace: Fullerton

Hometown: Huntington Beach

Age: 57

Occupation: County supervisor, former high school teacher

Education: Bachelor’s from San Jose State, master’s from Chapman

University

Family: Wife Connie, son Chad and daughter Donna.

Misc.: Son is a captain in the Air Force based at Hill Air Force Base

in Utah and daughter is an Air Force lieutenant based at McGuire Air

Force Base in New Jersey. Was elected one month before the county

bankruptcy.