AERIAL VIEW of Huntington Beach housing (Shutterstock).

By Jim Tortolano
Orange County Tribune

The concept of “local control” that has characterized the city’s recent legal battles with Sacramento was front-and-center in the legislative platform approved by the Huntington Beach City Council on Tuesday.
Topics covered also included guiding principles, public safety, business and economy.
The local control segment states that the city will support legislation that:

• Preserves the city’s authority as a charter city to establish policies, regulations, and priorities that reflect the needs of Huntington Beach residents and businesses without undue state or federal interference.

• Opposes unfunded or underfunded mandates that impose new responsibilities on local governments without providing adequate resources or offsetting benefits.

• Grants municipalities greater authority over the siting and operation of unlicensed and State-licensed group homes, including sober living homes, residential care facilities, and transitional or supportive housing.

A major component of Huntington Beach’s conflict over voter ID – approved by local voters in 2024 – and housing requirements is the position the city attorney took that Huntington Beach’s status as a charter city allows it to exempt itself from some state laws.

Generally, the courts have not supported that position and the council has voted to appeal a defeat on voter ID’s to be advanced to the U.S. Supreme Court.