The Mission Viejo City Council recently approved plans to renovate an old city property into a new water plant, administrative offices, and an event space for residents. The property—located at 27204 La Paz Road—is shared by the Santa Margarita Water District and the city. It previously housed the Oso Creek Water Treatment Plant, one of…

The Mission Viejo City Council voted Feb. 14 to scrap term limits for residents appointed to city commissions. Commissioners are appointed by councilors and have been limited to three two-year terms. While the vote removes that cap, under the new policy, commissioners will still need to be re-appointed by a majority vote by the council…

The Mission Viejo City Council will vote next week on scrapping term limits for residents appointed to city commissions. Commissioners are appointed by councilors and are limited to three two-year terms. The potential rule would remove the cap on the number of terms a commissioner can serve. However, commissioners would still need to be re-appointed…

Three Mission Viejo City Councilors must step down immediately, a California appeals court ruled Nov. 10. The state appeals court dissolved a temporary stay issued by a lower appeals court after a county Superior Court judge found councilors Ed Sachs, Greg Raths, and Mayor Wendy Bucknam had overstayed their terms. The councilors were elected to…

In Mission Viejo’s City Council general election, voters must decide whether to re-elect candidates who have been in office for years or to opt for new faces. Early voting results show incumbents leading in nearly every race as of early morning Nov. 9. In District 1—the only race without an incumbent running—Bob Ruesch leads with…

The California Appellate Court issued an order last week delaying the removal of three Mission Viejo City Council members from their seats just one day before an order by an Orange County Superior Court judge would have forced them to resign. The court granted the city’s petition to delay the order on Sep. 29, giving…

An Orange County judge removed three of five Mission Viejo city councilors on Aug. 31, after they remained in office beyond the two-year terms they were elected for. OC Superior Court Judge Walter Schwarm ordered Mayor Wendy Bucknum, Mayor Pro Tem Ed Sachs, and Councilman Greg Raths to vacate their seats by Wednesday evening. Schwarm left 30…

The Mission Viejo City Council unanimously approved an ordinance Aug. 23 requiring sober living, or group homes to register with the city. These group homes that house six or fewer people who are exiting drug rehabilitation programs now must send an application to the city with the operator’s contact information. The ordinance comes after a…

In November Mission Viejo voters will decide the fates of all five members of the City Council. That stems from legal wrangling that forced the city to switch from five “at-large” seats in which candidates run citywide, to a system made up of five separate districts. A 2018 lawsuit by the Southwest Voter Registration and…

MISSION VIEJO, Calif.—All five city councilors of Mission Viejo, California, may appear on the election ballot this November, after a judge recently decided to hear a lawsuit challenging their terms next week instead of in August. While three councilors—Ed Sachs, Greg Raths, and Mayor Wendy Bucknam—were already up for re-election in November, a Mission Viejo…