Costa Mesa Municipal Code § 2-20 City elected officials—By-district elections

A. City council and mayor. The elected officers of the city shall constitute a city council consisting of six council members elected by-district at the times and in the manner provided in this section, each of whom shall serve for a term of four years and until his or her respective successors qualify, and a directly elected mayor to serve a two year term, until his or her respective successor qualifies. Candidates for council seats shall be nominated and elected by such district and shall reside in such district. Candidates for mayor may reside in any district within the city and shall be elected by the voters city-wide.

B. Residency in districts. Except for the directly elected mayor, each member of the council must also be a resident of the council district from which the member is nominated at the time the member is nominated and elected. In the event any member of the council shall cease to be a resident of the district from which the member (or, in the case of an appointee, a predecessor) was nominated, the office shall immediately become vacant and shall be filled in the same manner as herein provided for other vacancies. If a member of the council ceases to be a resident of the district from which the member (or, in the case of an appointee, a predecessor) was nominated solely because of a change in the boundaries of any district as in this Code provided, the member shall not lose office during that term by reason of such change.

C. Districts. The city is hereby divided into six council districts. The six districts shall be as described in section 2-20.5.

D. Changes in boundaries of council districts. The boundaries of the council districts, but not the number thereof, may be changed by ordinance adopted by the council by a four-sevenths (4/7) vote of all its members; provided, that districts established by the council shall be as nearly equal in population and as geographically compact as practical. Boundaries shall be evaluated within at least one year subsequent to the availability of the information from each decennial United States census or on another basis adopted by four-sevenths (4/7) vote of the total membership of the council, and as provided in California Elections Code Sections 21601 and 21602. However, the council shall not change the boundaries of districts more than once in any two year period and no such change shall be made within the period of 180 days preceding a general municipal election. The preceding limitations shall not apply to changes made necessary by changes to the city boundaries. After the council has exercised its power to change the boundaries of districts, these changes shall immediately be reflected in the district boundaries specified by ordinance adopted by the council.

E. Current office holders. The five members of the city council in office at the time this section takes effect shall continue in office until their terms expire.

F. Council elections sequenced. The mayor shall serve a two year term and the position of mayor shall be elected commencing in the year 2018, and every two years thereafter. The members of the council of the third, fourth and fifth council districts shall be elected commencing in the year 2018 to the council seats then open, and in each fourth year thereafter. The members of the council of the first, second and sixth council districts shall be elected commencing in the year 2020 to the council seats then open, and in each fourth year thereafter.

(Ord. No. 16-05, § 1, 11-8-16)

The council member districts of the city shall have the following legal boundaries:

District 1. Beginning at the intersection of Bear Street and Sunflower Avenue on the northern border of the City of Costa Mesa, proceeding southerly along Bear Street until the 405 Freeway; thence proceeding westerly along the 405 Freeway until Harbor Blvd; thence proceeding southerly along Harbor Blvd until Merrimac Way, which is the northern border of Census Block 060590638071003; thence proceeding counterclockwise along the border of Census Block 060590638071003 until Harbor Blvd at Fair Drive; thence proceeding southerly along Harbor Blvd until the southern border of the Costa Mesa Golf Course; thence proceeding westerly along the southern border of the Costa Mesa Golf Course until Placentia Avenue; thence proceeding northerly along Placentia Avenue until the Fairview Channel; thence proceeding westerly along the Fairview Channel until the border of the City of Costa Mesa; thence proceeding clockwise along the border of the City of Costa Mesa until the point of origin.

District 2. Beginning at the intersection of Bear Street and Sunflower Avenue on the northern border of the City of Costa Mesa, proceeding southerly along Bear Street until the 405 Freeway; thence proceeding westerly along the 405 Freeway until Harbor Blvd; thence proceeding southerly along Harbor Blvd until Adams Avenue; thence proceeding easterly along Adams Avenue until Fairview Rd; thence proceeding northerly along Fairview Rd until the Paularino Channel; thence proceeding easterly along the Paularino Channel until California Highway 73; thence proceeding easterly along Highway 73 until the border of the City of Costa Mesa; thence proceeding counter-clockwise along the border of the City of Costa Mesa until the point of origin.

District 3. Beginning at the intersection of Mesa Drive and Orange Avenue on the eastern border of the City of Costa Mesa, proceeding southerly along Orange Avenue until 22nd Street; thence proceeding westerly along 22nd Street until California Highway 55; thence proceeding northerly along California Highway 55 until Fairview Road; thence proceeding northerly along Fairview Road until Wilson Street; thence proceeding westerly along Wilson Street until Harbor Blvd; thence proceeding northerly along Harbor Blvd until Fair Drive, which is the southern border of Census Block 060590638071003; thence proceeding clockwise along the border of Census Block 060590638071003 until Harbor Blvd at Merrimac Way; thence proceeding northerly along Harbor Blvd until Adams Avenue; thence proceeding easterly along Adams Avenue until Fairview Rd; thence proceeding northerly along Fairview Rd until the Paularino Channel; thence proceeding easterly along the Paularino Channel until California Highway 73; thence proceeding easterly along Highway 73 until the border of the City of Costa Mesa; thence proceeding clockwise along the border of the City of Costa Mesa until the point of origin.

District 4. Beginning at the intersection of Harbor Blvd and the southern border of the Costa Mesa Golf Course, proceeding southerly along Harbor Blvd until 19th Street; thence proceeding westerly along 19th Street until Pomona Avenue; thence proceeding southerly along Pomona Avenue until 17th Street; thence proceeding westerly along 17th Street until Placentia Avenue; thence proceeding northerly along Placentia Avenue until Towne Street; thence proceeding westerly along Towne Street until Monrovia Avenue; thence proceeding northerly along Monrovia Avenue until 19th Street; thence proceeding easterly along 19th Street until Placentia Avenue; thence proceeding northerly along the southern border of the Costa Mesa Golf Course; thence proceeding easterly along the southern border of the Costa Mesa Golf Course until Harbor Blvd, which is the point of origin.

District 5. Beginning at the intersection of 15th Street and California Highway 55 on the southern border of the City of Costa Mesa, proceeding northerly along California Highway 55 until Fairview Road; thence proceeding northerly along Fairview Road until Wilson Street; thence proceeding westerly along Wilson Street until Harbor Blvd; thence proceeding southerly along Harbor Blvd until 19th Street; thence proceeding westerly along 19th Street until Pomona Avenue; thence proceeding southerly along Pomona Avenue until 17th Street; thence proceeding westerly along 17th Street until Placentia Avenue; thence proceeding northerly along Placentia Avenue until Towne Street; thence proceeding westerly along Towne Street until Monrovia Avenue; thence proceeding northerly along Monrovia Avenue until 19th Street; thence proceeding easterly along 19th Street until Placentia Avenue; thence proceeding northerly along Placentia Avenue until the Fairview Channel; thence proceeding westerly along the Fairview Channel until the border of the City of Costa Mesa; thence proceeding counter-clockwise along the border of the City of Costa Mesa until the point of origin.

District 6. Beginning at the intersection of Mesa Drive and Orange Avenue on the eastern border of the City of Costa Mesa, proceeding southerly along Orange Avenue until 22nd Street; thence proceeding westerly along 22nd Street until California Highway 55; thence proceeding southerly along California Highway 55 until 15th Street, on the southern border of the City of Costa Mesa; thence proceeding counterclockwise along the border of the City of Costa Mesa until the point of origin.

These district boundaries are depicted on a boundary map attached hereto. These boundaries will remain in effect until amended by ordinance as provided in section 2-20.D.

(Ord. No. 16-05, § 2, 11-8-16; Ord. No. 22-01, § 1, 3-15-22)