Mello-Roos Bonds Abused by Greedy Developers
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The article “ ‘Fair Deal’ for Orange County Isn’t So Good for Home Buyers” (Dec. 9) dramatically shows how the developers control everything in Orange County, including the county supervisors.
First Mission Viejo Co. and county officials tell the public that the San Joaquin Hills tollway would be paid for by developer fees and toll revenue--an outright lie. Now, by using Mello-Roos bonds, the Mission Viejo Co. saves the $34 million it said it would advance, gets county approval to build 2,700 additional housing units and sticks the home buyers with the bill!
And, of course, the supervisors will continue to receive generous contributions from the developers. All this in the name of greed.
It is also mind-boggling to have Supervisor Thomas F. Riley now say that when he voted to approve the $34-million deal he “didn’t know” the homeowners would be paying most of the bond debt. Every time I use or go past the airport with the Thomas F. Riley Terminal, I shall remember that he did not know what was going on.
D.K. SWINNERTON, Irvine
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