Anaheim mayor faces new claims in OC civic roundup

Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken faced new allegations from her chief of staff over drinking at city functions and racist and homophobic remarks, Voice of OC reported Friday.

The claims prompted calls from some City Council colleagues for a faster investigation and came as Voice of OC summarized major civic issues across Orange County, from coastal flood preparations to legal settlements and local elections.

Voice of OC reported that Berinice Ballinas, chief of staff to Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken, accused Aitken of calling her a "dirty Mexican" and using homophobic remarks against her.

Aitken has previously denied allegations that she made racist and homophobic comments, according to Voice of OC. A growing number of her council colleagues have called for an expedited investigation, and the police union political action committee suspended its campaign endorsement of Aitken.

Anaheim City Council members were expected to meet in closed session at 9 a.m. to address the claims, Voice of OC reported. The publication also noted that Aitken’s father, Wylie Aitken, chairs Voice of OC’s board of directors.

The roundup also covered coastal preparations for expected super El Niño impacts. Seal Beach declared a local emergency to replace sand and prepare for flooding, while Newport Beach is using an agreement with the county to speed up sand replacement, according to Voice of OC.

Other civic developments included a nearly 25% raise for OC Fire Authority firefighters over the next five years and $128 million in taxpayer-funded legal settlements paid by County of Orange officials over the past year, Voice of OC reported. All five Mission Viejo City Council seats will be on the November ballot.

The Voice of OC roundup tied the Anaheim allegations to a broader set of civic pressures facing Orange County cities and county government.