Mission Viejo City Council
Who sits on the Mission Viejo city council, how long they've served, when each seat is next on the ballot — and how each member has actually voted, item by item, from the official record.
by-district · mayor: rotated-by-council · term limits: No term limits. Council members serve four-year terms; no limit on the number of terms (Trish Kelley has served continuously since 2002). A staggering measure adopted in late 2025 makes Districts 1, 3, and 5 four-year terms and Districts 2 and 4 two-year terms beginning with the Nov 3, 2026 election; Districts 2 and 4 return to four-year terms in 2028, after which all seats are staggered four-year terms. · on the Nov 2026 ballot: All five district seats (Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) are on the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election ballot. Successors in Districts 1, 3, and 5 will serve four-year terms; successors in Districts 2 and 4 will serve two-year terms (then four-year terms starting 2028).
Vote records digitized from 2024-01-09 to 2026-07-14 (49 meetings, 937 individual votes). Sources: official minutes and meeting records linked on every line.
Bob Ruesch
Brian Goodell
Cynthia Vasquez
Trish Kelley
Wendy Bucknum
Recent divided votes
| Date | Item | Outcome | Voted no | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-26 | and (3) Adopt Resolution 26-26 Amending the FY 2025/26 Capital Improvement Program. On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote: | 3-1 passed | Cynthia Vasquez | record |
| 2026-04-28 | 16) for geotechnical services for CIP (341), in an amount not to exceed $57,300.00. On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote: | 3-1 passed | Cynthia Vasquez | record |
| 2026-02-10 | Multisport Festival as described in Exhibit D and provide direction to City staff. On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote: | 4-1 passed | Cynthia Vasquez | record |
| 2025-12-09 | Member Kelley, to appoint Council Member Goodell to serve as Mayor Pro Tem in 2026. On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote: | 3-1 passed | Cynthia Vasquez | record |
| 2025-11-11 | djusting the Fiscal Year 2025/26 Budget to Assign Additional General Fund Reserves. On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote: | 4-1 passed | Brian Goodell | record |
| 2025-11-11 | $50k for the 250th Anniversary of America as a separate motion at a future meeting. On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote: | 4-1 passed | Cynthia Vasquez | record |
| 2025-10-28 | (d) Establishing Terms of Office and Election Dates for the City Council Districts. On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote: | 3-1 passed | Cynthia Vasquez | record |
| 2025-09-23 | d Deposit Schedule with Team Netherlands. City Council Minutes 6 September 23, 2025 On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote: | 4-1 passed | Cynthia Vasquez | record |
| 2025-09-23 | t a two-year term shall be considered a full term at the next City Council meeting. On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote: | 3-2 passed | Brian Goodell, Cynthia Vasquez | record |
| 2025-09-09 | Bucknum to approve the recommended action. City Council Minutes 6 September 9, 2025 On roll call, said motion failed by the following vote: | 2-2 failed | Brian Goodell, Cynthia Vasquez | record |
| 2025-04-22 | o provide funding from City reserves for the Sierra Recreation Center Rehabilitation On roll call, said motion failed by the following vote: | 1-3 failed | Wendy Bucknum, Bob Ruesch, Cynthia Vasquez | record |
| 2025-04-08 | the Implementation of the Flock Safety Automated License Plate Recognition System. On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote: | 4-1 passed | Cynthia Vasquez | record |
| 2025-03-25 | the installation costs of approximately $2,540 after they have paid for the signage. On roll call, said motion failed by the following vote: | 2-1 passed | Cynthia Vasquez | record |
| 2025-01-28 | 0. Motion died for lack of second. City Council Minutes 4 January 28, 2025 On roll call, said original motion carried by the following vote: | 4-1 passed | Cynthia Vasquez | record |
| 2024-12-10 | econded by Mayor Kelley to appoint Wendy Bucknum to serve as Mayor Pro Tem in 2025. On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote: | 4-1 passed | Cynthia Vasquez | record |
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