This week, things suddenly got interesting on the local Newport Beach political scene. A name from a legendary local family, Walter Stahr, has thrown his name into the ring as a challenger to the District 3 City Council seat currently held by Erik Weigand.
Walter carries on a family tradition of civic engagement. His late parents, John and Elizabeth Stahr, were honored in 2016 as Citizens of the Year, for their many contributions to the community, and perhaps most particularly, for their role in raising the funding to build Newport Beach’s Central Library.
And Stahr is no slouch in his own right. He’s a long-time resident of Newport Beach, with his own deep history of commitment and involvement in the city. Some of those efforts include leading the successful campaign to defeat the City Council’s Measure B power grab in 2022 and for leading the effort to save St. James Episcopal Church from plans to sell and develop their property.
He currently serves as an active board member of both the Pacific Symphony and the Library Foundation; he’s a graduate of Harvard Law School, formerly worked for the Securities and Exchange Commission and is an attorney, a noted author and historian.
So why is he running?
Stahr’s priorities include preserving Civic Center Park from “misguided development” and strengthening City Charter protections against high-density housing projects that create excessive traffic congestion and overcrowding in Newport Beach.
“Newport Beach residents merit a City Council that is committed to protecting our neighborhoods, parks and coastline,” said Stahr. “As our next District Three councilmember, I will oppose politically motivated vanity projects like the so-called ‘surf park’ and prevent our Civic Center Park from being bulldozed when there are better alternative sites to build a new police headquarters.”
Stahr also took time to criticize the current District 3 incumbent Erik Weigand. “In defending his unpopular support for the surf park and for the building of a police station in Civic Center Park, Councilman Weigand has repeatedly shown he is out of touch with his constituents. (His) negative comments about residents at the March 10 council study session on the police headquarters illustrate his complete disdain for the important process of public involvement in city decision-making. The people of Newport Beach deserve better.”
Weigand had this to say about his newly announced opponent, “I encourage healthy debate on who would be best to lead our city into the future. I’m confident voters will recognize the significant progress that’s been made over the past four years while I’ve served. Just this past year alone, crime is down by 12.7% and our homeless population is virtually nonexistent. I look forward to earning the community’s support as I seek reelection to my second and final term.”
Those jumping in early with their support for Stahr include former Newport Beach Mayors Keith Curry, Nancy Gardner, Clarence Turner and Don Webb; former Councilmembers Joy Brenner, Jeff Herdman and Tony Petros, and community leaders Karen Clark, Nancy Scarborough, Debbie Stevens and Paul Watkins.
Tony Petros said, “I think Walter is a breath of fresh air. He has a strong grasp of the community, and with his background he will fully understand the duty of leadership.”
Nancy Gardner added, “As a long-time resident, he will focus on maintaining the character of our city while addressing future needs and mandates. He will come to issues with an open mind, ready to listen to both sides before making a thoughtful decision. In that way he will restore confidence in residents that their voices matter.”