2023 BROUGHT ITS share of controversies (Shutterstock).

 The year of 2023 in our West Orange County area was not rocked by a pandemic, a recession, a pennant for the Angels or other once-in-a-lifetime events. 

 Nevertheless, it made headlines locally and nationally with events both sobering and strange.

  Here’s our Orange County Tribune’s most interesting stories of 2023 for the WOC, starting with Tuesday nights at 2000 Main Street in Huntington Beach.

Surf City’s hard right turn

 Meetings of the Huntington Beach City Council have always attracted pretty big crowds to its large chamber; there has never been a shortage of residents wanting to weigh in on zoning issues, noise complaints and requests for funding from City Hall.

But in 2023 a new majority took over control of the council and wheeled Surf City into a right turn – some would call it a hard right turn.

 In a series of actions that packed the council chambers, its 4-3 majority rolled out a new flag policy that essentially banned display of the gay pride flag from city property, sought to reduce library staff’s control over books because of concern of “adult” matter being available to minors and voted to place on the March 2024 primary ballot several controversial measures including requiring voter ID, authorizing voter “monitors” at ballot drop boxes and establishing rules on flag display.

Changing of the guard in G. Grove

 Scott Stiles was a popular city manager in Garden Grove who served seven-and-a-half years as top executive in the City of Youth and Ambition, but when Palm Springs offered him a new challenge, he took it (and his golf clubs) to the Coachella Valley in March.

 The “new” city manager is Lisa Kim, Garden Grove’s first-ever female in that post. She had been assistant city manager and director of community and economic development.

  She’s been able to bring in high-profile talent from other cities. Niki Wetzel – formerly of Anaheim – is the new community development director and Ursula Luna-Reynosa (formerly with Huntington Beach) is economic development director.

 Taken with the appointment of Amir El-Farra as chief of police in Garden Grove on Jan. 1, 2023, the top management of the city represents a new leadership team on Acacia Parkway.

 The city that  (almost) went broke

 Over the last two decades, Westminster has been wrestling with an existential crisis: where to get the money to run the city?

  A small property tax base, combined with the after-effects of the Great Recession, changes in people’s shopping habits (thank you, Amazon) and the decline of Westminster Mall have the city dipping into reserves to keep the lights on.

 After a lengthy struggle, the city council placed Measure Y – a one-cent sales tax increase – before city voters, who approved it in November 2022.

  But it soon became clear that even that would not be enough to get back in the black, so the council – also after a struggle – voted to place a half-cent sales tax on the March 2024 primary ballot.

  Next week in The Orange County Tribune: A look at what 2024 may bring us in the worlds of politics, arts and entertainment, development, sports and more.

  So we wish you a Happy Year Year; we’ll see you in 2024 …