LOCAL : Bergeson to Revive Bill for County Vote on Tax Hike for Jail, Courts

After a telephone conference call to patch up differences with Santa Ana city officials, State Sen. Marion Bergeson (R-Newport Beach) agreed to revive legislation today that would allow Orange County voters to consider a half-cent sales tax increase to help finance a new county jail and courts.

Bergeson, who earlier withdrew her sales tax bill when Santa Ana officials had it amended to prevent the new jail from being located in their city, was scheduled to ask the Senate Judiciary Committee this afternoon to revive the measure and approve it without any reference as to where the new jail would go, said Kevin Sloat, Bergeson’s administrative assistant.

The move comes after Bergeson convened the telephone conference call with Santa Ana Mayor Daniel H. Young, Councilman Miguel A. Pulido and Orange County Sheriff Brad Gates on Monday, Sloat said. That led to a fragile agreement that called for the officials to stop their open feuding and for Bergeson to send the sales tax bill on its way through the Legislature.

In return, Sloat said, Santa Ana officials agreed to drop their amendment to the bill requiring the proposed 6,000-bed jail to be located at least a mile from the nearest school--a condition that would preclude downtown Santa Ana as a potential site. It was this amendment that prompted Bergeson to withdraw her bill in the first place.

Santa Ana officials, however, reserved the right to push for the amendment again if the Orange County Board of Supervisors doesn’t pick another location.