Will O'Neill (politician)

Will O'Neill (born October 21, 1983) is the former Mayor of the City of Newport Beach[1] and Chair of the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency.[2]

For the hockey player, see Will O'Neill.
Will O’Neill
Mayor of Newport Beach
In office
2019–2020
Newport Beach City Council, District 7
Assumed office
2020
Personal details
Born (1983-10-21) October 21, 1983

Life and career

O’Neill grew up in the Central Valley community of Fresno. He graduated from Stanford University (B.A. History) where he lettered on the track and field team.[3] He then graduated from U.C. Hastings College of the Law (J.D.). He has served on the U.C. Hastings Board of Governors, most recently as President during the 2016/2017 term.[4]

He is a partner with the law firm of Ross, Wersching & Wolcott, LLP. He previously worked for California Supreme Court Justice Marvin Baxter (Ret.), the California Court of Appeal (Fifth Appellate District), and Dallas-based firm Haynes & Boone, LLP.

He is the Chair of the Newport Beach Finance Committee.[5] While on the Finance Committee, he helped lead the effort to restructure Newport Beach's unfunded pension liability payments to save the city an estimated $45 Million.[6][7]

He helped reform Newport Beach's civil asset forfeiture policy.[8][9][10] He also led the effort in Newport Beach to prohibit using public money for tax increase education efforts.[11]

As Mayor, he called 2020 "The Year Of The Volunteer."[12] His intention was to celebrate volunteers and community members and groups that give their time and talents for the betterment of the city.[13]

On January 26, 2020, nine people (mostly from Newport Beach) died in a helicopter crash, including Kobe Bryant.[14] O'Neill visited an impromptu candlelight vigil where he said: “There were seven lights that were burning bright this morning in Newport Beach and they got snuffed out. When we lose fathers and mothers and daughters and sons and those lights go out, we come together as a community. That’s who we are.”[15]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was Mayor when Governor Gavin Newsom shut down Orange County's beaches.[16] Mayor O'Neill appeared on The Tucker Carlson Show to denounce the closures as politically motivated rather than science-based.[17] He also appeared on a Fox11 Special Report with Elex Michaelson and Dr. Drew Pinsky.[18] Newport Beach's beaches were reopened shortly after.[19]

Mayor O'Neill was re-elected to the Newport Beach City Council on November 3, 2020.[20] He ran unopposed.[21]

In 2022, O'Neill was unanimously elected as the Chair of the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency (SJHTCA).[22] The SJHTCA oversees the 73 Toll Road and includes member agencies Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Dana Point, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana and the County of Orange.[23] When the SJHTCA approved an ~$134 million budget for 22/23, O'Neill was quoted saying: “The Agencies have a proven record of creating reliable infrastructure and ensuring our roads support the movement of people and goods through strong fiscal stewardship. The adoption of the budgets continues that stewardship and will allow us to continue providing transportation solutions in our region.”[24]

References
  1. "District 7 | City of Newport Beach". www.newportbeachca.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-08-08. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  2. "SJHTCA Board Members | The Toll Roads". www.thetollroads.com. Archived from the original on 2022-10-12. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  3. "William O'Neill Throws A Career-Best Mark At UCSD Invitational". Stanford University Athletics. Archived from the original on 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  4. "Lunch with the Expert featuring Will O'Neill '07 moderated by Chancellor and Dean David Faigman". UC Hastings Law | San Francisco. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  5. "Newport Beach Mayor Will O'Neill Files for Re-election". Newport Beach News. 2020-07-17. Archived from the original on 2020-08-17. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  6. "Newport finance panel backs fixed payment plan for $320-million pension debt". Daily Pilot. 2018-12-01. Archived from the original on 2018-12-26. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  7. "Stu News Newport". www.stunewsnewport.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  8. "Raising the bar on civil asset forfeiture". Orange County Register. 2017-03-25. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  9. "Civil asset forfeiture reform is a unifying cause". Orange County Register. 2018-12-22. Archived from the original on 2023-04-24. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  10. "O'Neill: We Need to Reform Law Enforcement's Ability to Seize Civil Assets". Voice of OC. 2019-01-09. Archived from the original on 2020-07-31. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  11. "When California cities blur the line between tax education and tax advocacy". Orange County Register. 2018-03-20. Archived from the original on 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  12. Hall, Sara (2019-12-13). "New Mayor Selected, Declares 2020 'Year of the Volunteer'". Newport Beach News. Archived from the original on 2020-10-27. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  13. "Stu News Newport". www.stunewsnewport.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  14. Langhorne, Daniel (2020-01-26). "Newport Coast Resident Kobe Bryant, Daughter Among Nine Killed in Helicopter Crash". Laguna Beach Local News. Archived from the original on 2020-02-01. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  15. "Newport Beach mourns Kobe and Gianna Bryant and 5 others from their community who died in helicopter crash". The Mercury News. 2020-01-27. Archived from the original on 2023-04-24. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  16. White, Jeremy B. "Newsom closes all Orange County beaches. Local officials call it an 'act of retribution'". Politico PRO. Archived from the original on 2023-04-24. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  17. Creitz, Charles (2020-05-01). "Newport Beach mayor blasts California gov's beach closure order: 'This has nothing to do with data'". Fox News. Archived from the original on 2020-07-18. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  18. Newport Beach Mayor Outraged by Governor Newsom's OC Beach Ban, archived from the original on 2023-04-18, retrieved 2020-08-09
  19. "Newport Beach Reopens Beaches; The Rest of Orange County is Up Next". NBC Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2020-05-22. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  20. Johnson, Tom (November 4, 2020). "2020 Election Results". Stu News. Archived from the original on 2022-10-12. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
  21. "GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION - NOVEMBER 3, 2020 | City of Newport Beach". www.newportbeachca.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  22. Staff, Newport Indy (2022-03-02). "Newport Beach Council Member Will O'Neill Elected Chair of San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency". Newport Beach News. Archived from the original on 2022-10-12. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  23. "Background & History | The Toll Roads". www.thetollroads.com. Archived from the original on 2022-10-12. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  24. "Transportation Corridor Agencies Boards Approve Balanced Fiscal Year 2023 Budgets | The Toll Roads". www.thetollroads.com. Archived from the original on 2022-10-12. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
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