North Tustin’s Cityhood Issue Sparks Mixed Feelings

I was pleased to read your editorial supporting our right to vote on whether a new city should be formed out of the unincorporated area north of the city of Tustin.

Any city that would have a probable $11 million in reserve by its seventh year is obviously viable. A great deal was made by Mr. (Gaddi H.) Vasquez of a “special tax.” Perhaps he doesn’t know, or perhaps he does, that when the city of Tustin bought the Tustin Waterworks several years ago, they instituted a tax on us to pay off their indebtedness. My water bill is usually around $44--very reasonable. But the city of Tustin collects an additional $22 on each bill--a 50% tax. And I did not get to vote on this “special tax.”

There is talk of “staying as we are.” The option of staying in the county unmolested has virtually disappeared since we will now face annexations one after the other, taking our area but giving us no representation on the City Council.

Unless the county can guarantee us protection from Tustin by saying in print that they will deny all new annexations, we are down the drain.

PATRICIA A. TATTERSALL, Santa Ana