Sewer for Valley Center Loses 3-2; Spending Lid Put on Future Projects

In unofficial final returns, Valley Center area voters sided with slow-growth forces by a 3 to 2 ratio, turning down a proposed sewer project and approving a spending limit on future projects, also by a 3 to 2 edge.

More than 57% of the 88,000 registered voters went to the polls Tuesday.

Proposition A, seeking approval of a sewer system for Valley Center’s “town center,” which is under a development freeze because of a potential health hazard from septic tank pollution of ground water, lost by 2,021 to 2,990.

Proposition B, a $1 million spending lid on the Valley Center Municipal Water District, won by 3,142 to 1,846. Projects costing more than $1 million--including the proposed sewer--will now require approval by district voters.

Sewer backers increased their chances of winning through the wording of Prop A. By specifying that the Prop A vote would not be binding if Prop B loses, pro-sewer forces have ensured they will be able to go ahead with the project if both issues are voted down. Only if Prop A is voted down and Prop B is approved will anti-sewer advocates win a clear victory.

Both sides have campaigned on the growth issue. Anti-sewer campaigners say defeat of the “developer’s sewer” is a way to preserve the rural character of the area. Pro-sewer forces argued that the sewer is needed to remove the moratorium and to allow the town center to grow at a reasonable rate.

Heavy voter turnout was reported at precincts within the community of Valley Center, where 4,500 acres of land have been frozen in a building moratorium since 1980. At one precinct at the school library, 50% of the registered voters had cast ballots by 1:30 p.m.

But, in outlying precincts in the 100-square-mile Valley Center Municipal Water District, areas which would not be served by the proposed $13-million sewer system, light to moderate voting was reported Tuesday afternoon.

Charges and counter-charges have marked the campaign, which began last fall, and have escalated into “dirty tricks” and political pressure tactics, both sides say.

CARE spokeswoman Mary Turmes said that leaders of the pro-sewer group have had their offices and businesses broken into and that about $1,600 in cash and checks for the campaign was recently taken from CARE offices. A Valley Center sheriff’s substation spokesman said that there is no evidence to point at the anti-sewer group, or any other group, as the culprits in the robbery.

CARE stands for Citizens Advocating Responsibility for the Environment. Anti-sewer forces are called CATS, or Citizens Against The Sewer.

Bob Polito, a CATS spokesman, said Tuesday that he had no idea how the final vote would come out, but added that he felt the heavy Valley Center turnout “shows that the people here want to have a say in their community.”

Unincorporated Valley Center holds an occasional bond election for a park or a new school, but few major issues--such as a sewer that could double the population of the area--are put to a vote, he said.

“That’s why most of us got into this issue--to have a chance to vote on our future,” Polito said.

Anti-sewer forces say sewer proponents have used economic blackmail against local businesses, threatening retailers with a boycott unless they removed anti-sewer signs from their property.

Signs were a sore point with the entire community. Every fence post and pole along Valley Center Road and other main streets were covered with signs.

Turmes said that one anti-sewer activist--who teaches school in San Marcos--had his classes making anti-sewer signs. CARE officials protested to San Marcos school administrators, but the student-made signs “bloomed like flowers” around the rural community.