Opponents Outspent Backers of Measure C

Final campaign spending reports show that opponents of Measure C, a citizens’ initiative to protect parks and beaches, spent almost four times as much as backers of the measure, which was overwhelmingly approved by city voters in November.

The final reports, filed in the city clerk’s office, show that the opponents of Measure C spent $59,865 to defeat it. The pro-Measure C group spent $16,299, according to spending reports.

City voters approved Measure C on Nov. 6 by a margin of 71% to 29%. The initiative, which is now city law, forbids sale or lease of park or beach land without a citywide vote.

Save Our Parks, a grass-roots citizens group, sponsored Measure C after the City Council majority in 1989 proposed converting a barren portion of Central Park into a commercial golf course. Members of Save Our Parks vehemently protested, saying the parkland should be preserved.

Save Our Parks members later expanded their battle to include opposition to Pierside Village. That proposed project calls for building more restaurants on the ocean side of Pacific Coast Highway, near Main Street.

Pro-development groups supported both the golf course and Pierside Village. The City Council majority also supported those projects, and in an attempt to derail Measure C, it put a rival proposal, Measure D, on the November ballot. Measure D somewhat resembled C, but it would have allowed the city to lease park or beach land without getting voter approval.

Support for D and opposition to C were jointly led by the Huntington Beach Committee for PARKS/Youth Sports/Yes on D.

The fund-raising efforts for Measure C came through the Huntington Beach Tomorrow/Save Our Parks Committee.

Other final campaign-spending reports show that in the 11-candidate race for four City Council seats in the November election, former Planning Commissioner Ed Mountford was the biggest campaign spender. Mountford, who finished sixth in the race, spent $54,826.

Linda Moulton-Patterson finished with the most votes in the City Council race, followed by Grace Winchell, Earle Robitaille and Jack Kelly. The final reports showed that Moulton-Patterson spent $44,226; Winchell, $19,527; Robitaille, $51,608, and Kelly, $45,919.

Mark Porter, who finished fifth in the race, spent $14,003.

In the city attorney’s race, incumbent Gail C. Hutton, who was reelected, spent $21,593. Her opponent, Paul Eugene Mann, spent $3,790.