Mobile Home Group Files Vote Petitions

Proponents of a ballot initiative that would eliminate much of Carson’s mobile home rent control turned in petitions Wednesday in hopes of forcing a vote in November.

Last week, the group of mobile home park owners behind the drive had conceded defeat in efforts to get on the November ballot when it failed to turn in 5,838 signatures, or 15% of the registered voters, by June 28, which they had considered the deadline.

Because of that announcement, the news that petitions had been turned in Wednesday surprised opponents.

“I didn’t know that,” said Rosemary Marble, a spokeswoman for Homeowners Against Rent Decontrol, when told of the development. “The rats, how many did they turn in?”

Work Over Holiday

The petition supporters, Concerned Citizens of Carson, turned in 6,355 signatures after continuing their petition campaign over the holiday weekend.

Ann Stewart Brown, a Sacramento political consultant who is spokeswoman for the park owners group, said the issue might still appear on the November ballot if county officials verify the signatures before July 28.

But the group faces two obstacles to making that ballot.

County officials have 30 days to verify the signatures. If it takes the full 30 days, the question of setting an election would come before the City Council too late to make the November ballot, unless a special meeting were called.

Carson City Clerk Helen Kawagoe, who clocked in the petitions about 3 p.m. Wednesday, said she was uncertain whether she would be able to bring the petitions to county elections officials before Monday. She added that she did not intend to authorize overtime to expedite the signature validation by the county.

In addition, the number of valid signatures may be fewer than 15% of registered voters.

If the percentage is more than 10%, however, the initiative would go on the ballot during the next regular municipal election--in 1990--unless the council acted to put it on the ballot sooner.

Marble said she doubted council members would take any action to expedite a vote on the ballot initiative.

“It is going to be political suicide for that council to put it on the ballot themselves without the required number of (signatures),” she said.

Connie Hathaway, a leader of the opponents group, said the organization intends to fight the initiative if it gets on the ballot. “We are organized,” she said. “I believe we have the community behind us.”

Under the initiative, only people qualifying for federal poverty guidelines would remain under rent control. For a four-person family, the limit on annual income would be $19,150; for an individual, it would be $13,400.

Rents for people not meeting the poverty guidelines would not be controlled except for the first two years after the measure takes effect. During the first two years, annual increases would be no more than 9%.

Under Carson’s current rent control ordinance, rent hikes are pegged to increases in the expenses of operating a park and to any capital expenditures made by a park owner.

Three parks have announced plans to close, and park owners say they need higher rents or parks will continue to shut down. Mobile home owners said that many of them would be unable to pay the higher rents that would come if the measure were adopted.