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The contentious rift that's divided former allies on Irvine's City Council is the hottest political story in Orange County.
The row, replete with charges of political corruption and ethics lapses, has thrown the upcoming election for mayor and two council seats up for grabs.
Just a few months ago, Councilwoman Beth Krom seemed likely to replace termed-out mayor and political ally Larry Aeran.
Agran himself was thought to be a shoo-in for an open council seat, keeping him as the driving force behind the council's Democratic majority.
Enter Councilman Chris Mears, a longtime Agran ally turned spoiler. Mears has led an attack against Agran, charging that a political supporter of the mayor's stands to benefit from the proposed formation of a city utility.
Politics aside, how the controversy plays out in the vote could mean a lot for business. At most, Irvine's council could swing from a Democratic to Republican majority, changing the tenor of how business is done in the city.
Agran, a big-thinking idealist as mayor in the 1980s turned pragmatic liberal, has been good for developers and homebuilders.
Irvine has approved some of the largest projects in its history under Agran, including the redevelopment of the El Toro Marine base, The Irvine Company's Northern Sphere project and high-rise housing along Jamboree Road.
Above all, Agran has brought a vision to Irvine-one of a bigger city with an urban core and a Great Park rather than an airport at El Toro.
City Hall's leadership under Mike Ward, a councilman, former mayor and challenger to Krom for the top job, would be different.
Gone would be the activism of Agran, who astutely fought an El Toro airport, championed a more urban Jamboree and pushed for a city utility to serve new developments.
In its...