North County : Questions and School, City Elections on Ballots

In north Orange County, only Buena Park has a city council election. Placentia, Brea and Cypress, however, have a number of ballot measures to be decided. There are numerous school board races, including one in Brea, which is building a new high school; Fullerton, whose teachers are still negotiating for a contract; and Yorba Linda, which must decide whether about 800 high school students will attend school in Placentia or in Fullerton.

In Buena Park, the retirement of Mayor James Jarrell, the end of Councilman Kenneth B. Jones’ term and the vacancy left by the death of Councilman Jess Davis leave three seats open on the council. Fourteen people, including Jones, who is seeking reelection, are running for the four-year-term positions, which pay $400 a month.

Placentia residents will decide the fate of a proposed charter amendment and two advisory votes. The advisory votes, which council members are not obligated by law to follow, will “take the pulse of the community,” City Administrator Roger Kemp said.

Advisory Vote E asks residents whether the city should form an assessment district to pay for improvements to the athletic facilities at Kraemer Junior High School and swimming pools at El Dorado High School, Valencia High School and Gomez Community Center. The tab for the improvements--$1,860,000--would be subsidized by Placentia residents. The average household would pay less than $2 a month for 15 years, Kemp said.

Charter Amendment Question F asks whether the city should consolidate elections to coincide with state and federal election dates--a move Kemp said would save the city more than $13,000 and increase voter turnout for local elections. Question G asks residents whether, should the consolidation be approved, it should take effect in the November, 1986, or the November, 1988, election.

The last advisory vote item appears to have stirred the most controversy in the community. Advisory Vote H asks residents whether the council should keep a 2% utility tax increase that became effective April 1. Although city officials say the tax is necessary to increase revenues and pay for public works such as streets and sewers, a group of residents has filed an opposing ballot argument saying the tax is unnecessary. The issue won a place on the ballot after the council received a petition with 3,111 validated signatures asking that the issue be put to a vote.

Brea city officials are asking the city’s 33,000 or so residents whether fireworks should be banned in the city. Cypress residents are being asked whether they want the city to develop, construct or acquire-- with local, state or federal assistance--up to 150 low-rent apartments for the elderly. The city recently received a $4.5-million grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to build 75 units on the southwest corner of Lincoln Avenue and Grindlay Street. However, Assistant City Manager Dave Barrett says, that project will not meet the demand for senior housing. Officials hope that, with approval from the community, they can begin pursuing other ways to provide low-income housing for seniors.