$45,000 in Gifts : Contractors Contribute to Cityhood Foes

One of two new groups opposed to Santa Clarita Valley cityhood raised $45,000 from nine contracting firms based outside the area, according to campaign-disclosure reports made public Friday.

Documents filed by the Coalition for the Right City supported the contention by cityhood backers that the building industry is behind at least some of the opposition to incorporation.

The second group, the Santa Clarita Caution Committee, reported raising $1,783. It listed Philip M. Stanchfield, a Newhall resident and general manager of a Mission Hills automobile dealership, as treasurer.

But the group, which emerged last week, provided no further clues to its membership because individual donations were less than $100 each. County election laws do not require that the names of such contributors be reported.

Neither Stanchfield nor Marilyn A. Wenburg, who had signed an anti-cityhood letter mailed by the committee, returned telephone calls Friday.

The Coalition for the Right City’s report listed nine contracting firms that gave $5,000 each on the same day, Oct. 16. One contractor gave a total of $10,000 through two companies, Alldoor Products and Overhead Door of Ventura County, both of Oxnard.

More Contributions

The other contributors were Conejo Valley Framing of Oxnard, Hagle Lumber of Somis, Linoleum Studio of Oxnard, contractor Donald W. Smith of Camarillo, Stephenson Construction of Oxnard, Tartan Pools of Van Nuys and United Building Materials of Camarillo.

Representatives of the contractors could not be reached for comment.

Cityhood proponents have speculated that builders are afraid a local government could slow growth in the booming Santa Clarita Valley.

State Sen. Ed Davis (R-Valencia), who has endorsed the cityhood proposal on the Nov. 3 ballot, said he suspects that developers are behind the Coalition for the Right City.

“Who hires these subcontractors? Well, building companies hire them,” Davis said.

Residents have received at least two mailings this week from the Right City group, urging voters not to approve incorporation because it would leave much of the Santa Clarita Valley under county control.

The most recent mailer states, “We won’t be protected from out-of-area politicians trying to put jails and landfills near our homes.”

Connie Worden, vice chairwoman of the City of Santa Clarita Formation Committee, said the mailers are misleading. She said a city government would give local residents more control over incorporated and unincorporated areas.

Worden said cityhood backers are not opposed to managed growth and suggested that builders “are scared to death that we’ll have a city that might impact their development plan.”

Davis called the mailers “indirect, sneaky, intellectually dishonest attempts to continue business as usual with the county Board of Supervisors.”

Anthony J. Skirlick Jr., a Valencia resident and member of an earlier opposition group called Citizens Against Cityhood, scolded cityhood proponents for criticizing developers.

Says Issues Avoided

“What they’re trying to do is shunt people away from the issues that are important,” said Skirlick, who said his group has not accepted support from developers.

“Behind the scenes, what they’re trying to do is monopolize the financial and political structure of this valley,” he said.

A county spokeswoman said Citizens Against Cityhood has not filed a spending report, which is required if a political group spends more than $500. Skirlick said his group has not exceeded that amount.

The report by the Coalition for the Right City indicated that the group has spent more than $40,000 on campaign literature and for the services of an Orange County political consultant, Dana Reed, who could not be reached for comment.

The Santa Clarita Caution Committee reported spending $2,900 on direct mailings.

The pro-cityhood group, the City of Santa Clarita Formation Committee, said it collected $20,610 in cash contributions and has spent $22,256.