NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL ENDORSEMENTS:

Every two years we struggle with the same problem. Whom do we support for election to city council or school board?

This year, it would seem, in Newport Beach it is a slam dunk. Three able incumbents, one running unopposed, what is there to debate?

But not so fast.

After further review, we think there is a reason to make at least one change, and that’s why our recommendations this year are Ed Selich, Steve Rosansky and Dolores Otting.

Let’s start first with Selich. It’s no surprise that Mayor Selich has no one challenging his reelection to the District 5 seat. Selich, who has a background in city planning, has a remarkable understanding of city issues. He has worked behind the scenes to help solve the rehab home issue and inking the Newport Center development agreement with The Irvine Co.

And while he was adamantly opposed to building a city hall at the open space near the library, he never let his disagreements become personal. In the end, when the city hall in the park issue won at the ballot box, he united the council to get behind the project.

We believe Selich deserves another four-year term.

In District 2, Rosansky is running against Gloria Alkire, a relative unknown with little city government experience. While we acknowledge that Rosansky has found himself on the defensive regarding the rehab issue, we believe those charges to be without merit.

Indeed Rosansky showed leadership and worked hard to try to resolve an issue that is clearly roiling his constituents and the very neighborhood he lives in. Rosansky also showed leadership on the city hall issue. At first, when noted architect and yachtsman Bill Ficker presented his plans for city hall on the Newport Center site, Rosansky sided with the council majority and declined to support Ficker’s plan.

But at his state-of-the-city address at the Annual Speak Up Newport Mayor’s Dinner in 2007, Rosansky famously changed his mind and switched his support to Ficker. That took courage.

Rosansky, like Selich, deserves a second term on the council.

The wild card that we are supporting this year is Otting. We acknowledge that Otting can be disagreeable and, at times, cantankerous. But we don’t think anyone would deny that she spends an enormous amount of her free time, voluntarily, advocating for what she believes is best for Newport Beach, the city she has lived in and loved for 20 years.

Otting is a businesswoman with business expertise who has unsuccessfully run for council three times, and lost in a close election to Curry in 2006. She, like us, believes deeply in an open and transparent government; that the taxpayer’s money needs to be watched closely; and that budgets should not be allowed to balloon, especially now.

Otting does her homework and does it well. She won’t be a cheerleader on this seven-member panel, but rather she’ll be a contrarian voice keeping her fellow council members on their toes.

With that in mind, we believe it’s her time to shine and we support Otting in the District 7 race.

And why do we not support Curry? It’s not because we have anything against him. In fact, we believe he is an extremely bright and talented man.

But after watching him over the last year, and especially in regards to the debate over city hall, we just question whether he has the temperament, diplomacy and aplomb that is required of an elected official at the council level.

One of the No. 1 complaints we hear about the current council is its dismissive and sometimes mocking attitude toward the public. And Curry’s name is often mentioned in the same breath.

We saw it first hand. Curry seemed to openly pick fights with both with his council colleague Rosansky and Ficker during the city hall debate. It was not his finest hour, and he even acknowledged as much in a commentary we printed.

His council campaign this year, we feel, has continued that often contentious tone.

So we advocate both staying the course and change at the same time. We believe the voters can have that with three choices on Nov. 4, Selich, Rosansky and Otting.

To see all the candidated speak on the issues, visit our Election Coverage page.