Orange County Superior Court Judge Julianne Bancroft has ordered the Newport Beach City Council to place three city charter reform initiatives on the November 3, 2026, ballot. This ruling follows Bancroft’s finding that the City Council "abused its discretion" by attempting to push the initiatives to the 2028 election. The decision mandates immediate steps by the city to proceed with placing these initiatives on the 2026 ballot.
Judge Bancroft’s August 19 ruling highlighted earlier city delays. She noted the court had to repeatedly order the city to prepare ballot questions and arguments, stating this was intended to prevent the very delays the city now cites as reasons against a 2026 ballot placement. Bancroft previously stated city actions "could lead to a finding of obstructionism."
These three initiatives, part of a set of four sponsored by the Newport Beach Stewardship Association, propose significant changes. They include stricter eight-year term limits for city council members, a shift to district voting, and various transparency measures to expand public access. The City Council had voted 5-2 to defer these measures to the November 2028 ballot, with Councilmembers Michelle Barto and Robyn Grant opposing the delay.
A separate fourth initiative, the Responsible Housing Initiative, is also set to go before voters. If approved, it would require the city to discard its current housing plan and adopt one zoning for fewer new homes. This action would likely lead to a lawsuit with the State of California, as it could result in the city falling out of compliance with its state-mandated housing plan.
Despite the judicial order, County Counsel Leon Page has indicated that the city has already missed the required filing deadline for the 2026 election. In a letter, Page stated that a city requesting consolidation with the November 3, 2026, statewide general election needed to file its resolution by August 7, 2026. He confirmed, "The County did not receive a request for consolidation for the three measures."
Newport Beach city leaders stated they would contact the Orange County Registrar of Voters to determine compliance. City spokesperson Georgia Rios said the city would reach out to the Registrar of Voters to determine necessary steps for compliance with the order. County Registrar Bob Page declined comment.
The nearly $1 million signature gathering effort for the initiatives was funded by local developer Ken Picerne, with former mayor Marshall “Duffy” Duffield serving as treasurer. Duffield stated the measures aimed to limit uncontrolled development.
