Politics have escalated in recent years in Huntington Beach, a once sleepy coastal town. The city, with its working-class roots (oil extraction and agriculture once dominated here), has long had a conservative bent. But even prominent local Republicans say local government has never been as contentious as in recent years.
This change is due, at least in part, to the pandemic. Residents protested mask mandates and beach closures, and some local businesses resorted to fraud and declared mask-free zones in defiance of state public health mandates.
After four conservative City Council candidates won seats in 2022, they repeatedly clashed with their three leftist colleagues and passed the bill over their vocal opposition. In November, these three minority councilors lost their seats to new conservative councilors, and the city became a full MAGA council.
At the swearing-in ceremony in December, seven members and City Attorney Michael Gates posed for cameras wearing red “Make America Great Again” hats.
🇺🇸Clean sweep! 7-0, Make Huntington Beach Great Again City Council sworn in on Tuesday! Something great and patriotic is coming to California! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
🚨The City of Huntington Beach has a Republican representative in every election!
🔴City Council, 7-0 ✅
🔴City Attorney✅
🔴City employee✅… pic.twitter.com/P593oS6BNE— Attorney Michael E. Gates (@MichaelGatesESQ) December 6, 2024
As a farewell (gag?) gift, the City Council is giving defeated and retiring members a framed MAGA-themed collage featuring the bloody face of President-elect Donald Trump, who survived last year’s assassination attempt. was given.
How to monitor Huntington Beach
In Huntington Beach, City Council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 2000 Main St.
You can also watch City Council meetings remotely on HBTV Channel 3, online, or through the City’s website (videos of previous City Council meetings can also be found there).
A public comment period will be held toward the beginning of the meeting.
The city typically posts the agenda for city council meetings the previous Friday. You can find the agenda on the City Calendar or sign up there to have the agenda sent to your inbox.
At least for now, the city’s elected officials are on solid ground. But it faces major challenges in the new year from the state’s liberal opponents and residents. Here’s what’s coming:
Library war continues
In the fall of 2023, the City Council passed a resolution banning minors from accessing city library materials that contain “sexual content.” It turns out that this includes books about the human body and adolescence. Opponents called it a book ban.
A majority of the council also voted in favor of establishing a parent review committee to determine which children’s books are suitable for libraries. There was so much backlash that residents collected enough signatures to repeal the ordinance on a future ballot.
Last year, the city council also suggested outsourcing library operations to private companies, a move that quickly sparked a new petition to stop privatization.
The new City Council is expected to decide what to do about two library-related ballot plans at its first meeting in January. The City Council could adopt the measure in its entirety, order an impact study or place it on a future ballot, possibly later this year.
Regardless of what voters think of the review board, the state has already expressed opposition to the ordinance. The so-called Freedom to Read Act, which took effect on January 1, prohibits local governments from restricting access to public library materials. The law specifies that it applies to charter cities like Huntington Beach.
Legal battles over housing and voter ID loom
Charter cities have something like a mini-constitution, giving them special rights to make their own rules for city government. Gates, Huntington Beach’s city attorney, has used the city’s charter status to fight state rules on multiple fronts, including voting and housing.
When it comes to housing, the city has so far failed to meet state mandates to plan for a certain number of new housing units, including affordable housing. About 13,000 new homes are planned for Huntington Beach (Census data shows Huntington Beach currently has nearly 78,000 homes). Both dispute this order.)
Adding to the conflict was the passing of a new law in November that gave Huntington Beach voters the right to vote to approve large-scale zoning changes intended to comply with state housing regulations.
Conflicts between cities and states over voting rules could also intensify this year. In March, Huntington Beach voters approved a new law allowing the city to require identification to vote. Critics argue that voter ID laws unfairly target certain groups, including low-income voters. Supporters say this is a common sense way to protect against voter fraud.
The state is trying to block Huntington Beach’s voter ID law in court. A judge recently ruled that it was premature for the state to file a lawsuit because Huntington Beach has not yet decided whether or how to implement new voting rules. The state attorney general is preparing to appeal the decision.
