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Mike Carroll, Irvine City Council District 4 candidate, 2024 election questionnaire

October 5, 2024

Ahead of the November general election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.

MORE: Read all the candidate responses in our Voter Guide

Name: Mike Carroll

Current job title: Councilmember, City of Irvine

Political party affiliation: Non-Partisan

Incumbent: Yes

Other political positions held: Chairman of the Great Park, Irvine Community Land Trust Boardmember, Airport Land Use Commission Boardmember

City where you reside: Irvine

Campaign website or social media: www.mikecarroll.org

Irvine is in the process of its first major general plan update in well over a decade. Since Irvine has traditionally been a master-planned community, what is your vision for the city as it continues to grow? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)

My priority is to protect and defend the Irvine master plan. My vision is not 58,000 new apartments in an already built-out city with congestion and traffic issues, as some have actually proposed. We are the greatest master-planned community in the U.S. That plan is the “”key ingredient”” of a formula that has made Irvine the most desirable place to live in the nation: world-class parks, open spaces and trails and a “”city of villages,”” which are neighborhoods with distinct and unique personalities where families can thrive. Combined with neighborhood award-winning public schools, job centers where people can work and the best police department a community can imagine, we have the recipe for community success.

The goal of the master plan is simple: quality of life. Defending it is hard work. It requires a keen understanding of proper planning and land use. For the last six years, I’ve protected the master plan from attacks and unworkable ideas being proposed such as 58,000 new homes (a 50% increase in current housing) and the elimination of car parking (yes, not kidding). It is job No. 1 for me. My goal is to preserve our community, not ruin it.

How can the city best meet the demand and mandates for more housing, including at lower prices, while also preserving the quality of life for existing neighborhoods and residents? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)

I am proud to say that Irvine has built more affordable housing than any other city in Orange County, by far. I’m also proud to have voted for the largest affordable housing development in the history of the state of California. Affordability is a major issue in our state, and Irvine can and will do more.

But — and this is important — not at the sacrifce and destriction of our master plan. We need to see the other cities in Orange County do their fair share because Irvine does more than its fair share.

We must address the growing traffic problem in our city before it’s too late. Traffic is an issue that threatens the quality of life that we all came here to enjoy. I have held 65 community forums, and in my discussions with residents, it is one thing to talk about traffic percentage improvements here and more cars getting through intersections there. But — and this is critical — we we need our residents to actually feel and experience that they’re moving quicker through previously congested areas and that they’re driving safely from Point A to Point B.

Irvine has a goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. That will take a lot of city outreach to accomplish. Where does climate change fall in your list of priorities? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)

The environment is extremely high on my list of priorities. We all need to live in a city that has clear air to breathe and safe water to drink. I have a track record on the environment that I am proud of. I led the committee that negotiated the permanent shutdown of the asphalt plant that was sitting right on top of our residents in Orchard Hills, and in its place established the Gateway Preserve, over 400 acres of brand new open space in the city of Irvine. I am also leading the establishment of new open-space trails in the Los Olivos, Quail Hill and Spectrum neighborhoods.

I am 100% for our environment and meeting state goals. But I am absolutely opposed to mandating increased electric rates for residents, elimination of parking for cars and individual car driving limits for Irvine residents that some have actually proposed.

In your opinion, what is the biggest need your city faces, and how would you address it? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)

Quality of life and safety is our city’s No. 1 need. We must ensure we remain the safest city in America and address property crime, which is on the rise. That means fully supporting public safety. That means stopping property crime. That means not watering down criminal laws like some have proposed. And we must not reduce funding or defund our Irvine Police Department. We need to support our men and women in blue who are on the frontlines keeping us safe. They are the reason we enjoy a safe community where we can thrive, and they work to protect us 24/7. They are a caring organization and devoted to the people of Irvine. I am the only candidate running for City Council or mayor who is endorsed by the Irvine Police Association. I am proud to have their endorsement, and I stand with them.

Why would you make a good leader, and how would you represent the diverse communities of your city? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)

As a councilmember for the past six years, I’ve been honored to represent the most diversely integrated city in the U.S. I have track record of serving our community. I helped residents recover $100 million in unclaimed property. I obtained over $10 million from UC Irvine to pay for neighborhood traffic improvements. I’ve held 65 community forums with Irvine residents. I’ve kept Irvine America’s safest city and improved our parks to be ranked No. 11 in California and No. 10 in the country. I saved funding for seniors with mobility needs and provided buses for school children. I passed a two-year balanced city budget. I launched a $1 billion development plan that will put Irvine’s Great Park among the great public parks in the nation.

If re-elected, I will continue fighting for residents by providing our police with what they need to ensure Irvine remains America’s safest city, reduce traffic by improving road design and alternative transit, enhance our parks and open space and support our Irvine public schools and families. I’ve been endorsed by many fellow residents and the Irvine Police Association, the Orange County Firefighters Association, the OC Taxpayers Association PAC, the OC Business Council and Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes.

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Mike Carroll, Irvine City Council District 4 candidate, 2024 election questionnaire

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