Politics & Government

Four Council Candidates Take First Step to Run

The two incumbents, as well as two new players have taken the first steps to run for San Clemente City Council.

Two seats, those occupied by councilmen and , are up for grabs in the November election; it looks as if both will run again and face off against two other opponents.

The two, along with prospective candidates David Clegg and Michael Mortenson, have pulled the papers from the city clerk necessary to run for council. None had yet officially filed as of late Thursday morning.

But the filing period doesn't end until Aug. 10, according to City Clerk Joanne Baade -- who is the only prospective candidate so far to have pulled papers to run for city clerk. If no incumbent files by 5 p.m. Aug. 10, the deadline is extended to 5 p.m. Aug. 15.

Find out what's happening in San Clementewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Also, T. Pall Guidgeirsson, the sitting city treasurer, is the only city treasurer candidate to pull papers as of Thursday.

Dahl and Baker are diametrically opposed on a couple major issues: commercial development on city land at North Beach ( and Dahl favored with his support of the ), and the 241 Toll Road extention. Baker opposes it,

Find out what's happening in San Clementewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mortenson is stressing bringing in more revenue from sales tax as part of the platform outlined on his website:

"What we need to do is balance our budget by increasing sales tax revenues, not by raising taxes and fees on our citizens and local businesses, and not by making additional cuts in essential services," he states on his site.

Clegg doesn't appear to have any published campaign literature as yet; he did not immediately return phone calls Thursday.


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