NORTH TUSTIN : Supervisors Dissolve Advisory Council

Last week, the North Tustin Municipal Advisory Council was making recommendations, postponing decisions and bickering. This week, the council does not exist.

With a unanimous vote Tuesday, the County Board of Supervisors dissolved the advisory body, saying it is unnecessary.

Dessa Schroeder, chairwoman of the now-defunct council, criticized the action: “To disenfranchise 30,000 people with the stroke of a pen will be viewed by many as arrogant and irresponsible.” But Supervisor Roger R. Stanton, who represents part of North Tustin, said voters are not being disenfranchised, because they elect the Board of Supervisors to represent them.

“There is no obligation under the Constitution to set up layer after layer after layer of government,” he said. “If you want another layer of government, then it’s up to you to incorporate or annex to another city.”

In early May, the county Environmental Management Agency recommended that the county discontinue the council because the park maintenance district that pays for the panel faces a budget deficit.

North Tustin has been the only unincorporated area with a municipal advisory council since the incorporation of Mission Viejo. Other unincorporated areas, such as Sunset Beach and Midway City, have advisory bodies that are not elected and operate at no cost to the county.

Since they learned of the recommendation last month, council supporters have been circulating flyers to drum up support for the council.

Stanton and fellow Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez criticized the flyers, some of which were not signed, saying that they had made false claims about the council.

“They say the council has been a barrier to massive developments,” Stanton said. “I was always under the impression that those decisions were made by the Board of Supervisors, and I don’t recall anything like that coming before us.”

Four residents, including Schroeder, asked that the council be retained.

Attorney Stephen D. Johnson, an original council member, offered to forgive a county debt for the lease of office space if that money can be applied to keeping the council afloat.

“There’s no economic need to cut the council,” Johnson said, arguing that the true cost is lower than the county estimate.

Longtime North Tustin resident Hans Vogel, also an original council member, urged the supervisors to abolish the council and place different people on an advisory commission if one is formed.

County staff members will study forming an advisory panel for North Tustin and are expected to report back to the board within 60 days.