Groups Delays Vote on Tax, Fee Proposals

Citing some communities’ concerns about how new sources of income would be divided, an organization representing all 26 Orange County cities delayed action Thursday night on recommendations for possible new taxes and fees.

The Orange County chapter of the League of California Cities said it will instead vote on the proposals at a special meeting Dec. 3. Under discussion are the final recommendations of the league’s so-called “super committee” on transportation. The committee was chaired by Santa Ana Mayor Dan Young.

The recommendations say that several methods should be explored as ways to raise $1.1 billion for a list of 165 high-priority street and highway projects. The methods recommended for study include an increase in the county sales tax, additional developer fees, special benefit assessment districts and increased gasoline taxes.

The 165 high-priority projects would eliminate most of the county’s traffic congestion, according to the report, although the Orange County Transportation Commission staff has said some of the improvements envisioned by the report would merely draw more traffic to streets that, until now, have not been major thoroughfares.

Fullerton, La Habra, Garden Grove, Seal Beach and Placentia had complained before Thursday night’s meeting that there was no specific funding formula to protect against south county road projects gobbling up the money generated by a new source such as a countywide sales tax.

To counter such fears, Young and other committee members met Wednesday night to discuss the so-called “equity” issue--how money goes back to the communities.

Bob Dunek, executive director of the league, said Thursday night that the league still wants more time to discuss the situation. “Several concepts have been presented but the final amendment (on how money would go to the communities) is yet to be crystallized,” said Dunek. He added that he thinks this can be accomplished by Dec. 3, and that the league at its special meeting on that date will overwhelmingly approve the recommendations.

The league report will be submitted to OCTC and the Board of Supervisors, which will be asked to endorse the findings and make decisions about whether to go for a sales tax.