Budget the Big Issue in Fullerton : Politics: Road widenings, redevelopment funds also concern the 13 candidates vying for three council seats.

Candidates running for the three seats on the City Council agree that the city faces a fiscal crisis, but their ideas about how to solve it run the gamut.

Joanne El Kareh, a business lawyer, says she wants to privatize the Fullerton Municipal Airport to save money. Incumbent Chris Norby says he wants to get rid of the city attorney and contract out legal work.

“We need to take a hard look at existing personnel,” Norby said.

Some old municipal disputes also are forcing their way into this election.

Thousands of residents were outraged in 1990 by the plan to widen a one-mile section of Bastanchury Road to six lanes. Norby, who was on the council, voted against the road widening. Eddie J. Gage Jr., a candidate, said he would have done the same, and wants the city to spend more time developing light rail and other public transportation systems.

But Don Hoppe, assistant city engineer, said many road widenings are for arterial routes that have already been planned with other cities.

“Fullerton is no longer a totally autonomous entity,” he said.

Fullerton must adhere to the county’s master plan or it will lose millions of dollars for maintenance and reconstruction--”going and taking out the bad asphalt and repaving,” Hoppe said.

Hoppe said that if traffic through Fullerton can’t use big roads, drivers will go through the residential streets. “The roads don’t necessarily generate the traffic, the people generate the traffic,” he said.

Candidates for the Nov. 3 election also disagree about whether the city should spend redevelopment funds targeted for affordable housing on fostering rentals or homeownership.

Gary Chalupsky, director of redevelopment, said the agency will spend $15 million over the next decade to provide affordable housing. No money has yet been spent, and Chalupsky said the city has discretion whether to support rental or homeownership subsidies.

He said the city could offer fee breaks to developers, outright grants or start loan programs.

Chalupsky said rent subsidies are more appropriate for truly low-income people.

“It’s going to be hard to have an hourly part-time job and apply for any kind of loan,” he said.

One opportunity to create affordable housing is the 150 acres of Hughes Aircraft Co. land, in northwest Fullerton.

Paul Dudley, the city’s director of development, said the area is not zoned for redevelopment, so the city would have to rezone it. He said the city could negotiate with Hughes to create affordable housing.

Redevelopment money has also been used to subsidize auto dealerships. In late 1991 the city gave $45,000 to University Acura at 646 W. Commonwealth Ave. in return for the promise that the dealership would not leave Fullerton.

But this summer the Acura dealership closed down, and the city has not yet been repaid its money.

“I don’t expect to see the money without spending money on legal costs,” Chalupsky said.

Some council candidates said they would refuse to subsidize any other dealerships.

Fullerton City Council

The following 13 candidates are running at large for three seats on the Fullerton City Council in the Nov. 3 election.

Bernhardt N. Arnold

Age: 35.

Occupation: Senior/handicapped driver.

Background: Resident for 30 years; Army 1977-90, retired as sergeant.

Issues: Supports some city involvement in Hughes project; would raise taxes or fees before cutting services; supports both rent subsidies and homeowner incentives; supports light rail, bicycling and alternative transportation; would consider city subsidies for car dealerships.

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John (Jack) Bedell

Age: 49.

Occupation: Associate vice president at Cal State Fullerton.

Background: President of Fullerton School District Board of Trustees since 1991; Ph.D in sociology from Case Western Reserve, 1971; resident for 23 years.

Issues: Wants city involvement in development of affordable housing at Hughes; would not increase taxes or cut police and fire--would look to cut other city services, raise voluntary fees; supports both rent subsidies and homeownership incentives; opposes road widenings not already on master plan and favors bicycling and car-pooling; would support city subsidies for auto park and possibly a car dealership.

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Jan M. Flory

Age: 48.

Occupation: Attorney.

Background: Community Services Commission 1987-92; neighborhood activist since 1980; resident for 22 years.

Issues: Favors pressuring Hughes for affordable housing; wants to reduce city expenses through regional consolidation of municipal services instead of raising taxes or fees; supports rental subsidies and homeowner incentives; supports mass transportation, not road widening; does not support city subsidies for car dealerships.

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Eddie J. Gage Jr.

Age: 32.

Occupation: Business owner.

Background: Resident for 14 years; owned business for three years; coached youth football for nine years; attended Cal State Fullerton 1978-80.

Issues: Wants city to let Hughes develop its land as it chooses but offer incentives for building subcontracts with local businesses; would cut high-salary administrative positions like city attorney and director of community services before raising taxes or fees; would subsidize homeownership instead of rental subsidies; opposes more road widenings; supports city subsidies for car dealerships.

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Stan E. McCrosky

Age: 21.

Occupation: University student.

Background: Cal State Fullerton student, majoring in criminal justice and political science; resident for 15 years.

Issues: Does not want city to pressure Hughes project to create affordable housing; would decrease city services before raising taxes or fees; supports both rent subsidies and homeownership programs; supports road widening, not supportive of mass transportation alternatives; does not support subsidies for car dealerships.

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Edith J. O’Donnell

Age: Not stated.

Occupation: Librarian, educator.

Background: With Hacienda-La Puente School District for 20 years; adjunct professor for San Jose State University; 1991 doctorate in education at USC.

Issues: Wants public discussion of Hughes land development; would seek to trim expenditures from city budget before raising taxes or fees; wants to subsidize homeownership, not rentals; no position on road widening; strongly opposes city subsidies for car dealerships.

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Julie Sa

Age: 41.

Occupation: President of investment firm.

Background: Resident for 17 years; master’s degree in political science from University of Korea, 1970.

Issues: Supports city involvement in Hughes development; would cut services before raising taxes; supports homeownership incentives, not rental subsidies; favors road widenings; supports city subsidies for car dealerships.

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Don Bankhead

Age: 60.

Occupation: Mayor.

Background: Mayor since November, 1991; City Council 1988 to present; with the Police Department from 1957-88, retired as commander of investigation division.

Issues: Hopes Hughes will build low-income housing on its land; would cut services before increasing taxes or fees; supports subsidies for rental and homeownership for low-income residents; not opposed to road widenings that are already scheduled in the master plan; supports city subsidies for car dealerships.

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Jim Blake

Age: 61.

Occupation: Businessman.

Background: Planning Commission 1983-present; Economic Development Team 1986-present; resident for 30 years; former special agent for FBI; active Marine Corps 1951-54.

Issues: Wants city oversight on development of 150 acres of Hughes land; would increase municipal fees before cutting city services; wants balance of rent subsidies and homeownership incentives; favors light rail and commuter rail instead of road widenings; supports city subsidies for car dealerships.

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William B. Gabriel

Age: 34.

Occupation: Reserve Special Forces noncommissioned officer, student.

Background: Studying French at Fullerton College since 1991; resident for nine years.

Issues: Says Hughes should develop land in accordance with master plan; would cut city spending to 1989 levels, except police and fire; supports subsidies for homeownership; supports bicycle routes, limited street widening; opposes car dealership subsidies from city.

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Joanne El Kareh

Age: 35.

Occupation: Business lawyer.

Background: Resident for 14 years; law degree from Western State University College of Law in 1980; business consultant 1980-88; began practicing law in 1988.

Issues: Would not pressure Hughes to develop affordable housing; opposed to tax or fee increase; wants to privatize airport, reduce city services; would subsidize homeownership over rentals; supports public transportation and further road widenings; supports city subsidies for car dealerships and other businesses.

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Chris Norby

Age: 42.

Occupation: Incumbent; high school teacher.

Background: City councilman since 1984; teacher for Brea public schools since 1985; born and raised in Fullerton.

Issues: Opposes using city money to help develop Hughes Electronics Inc.’s 150 acres in northwest Fullerton because it is far from public transportation; proposes contracting out city maintenance and job of city attorney; would cut jobs to save money before raising fees or taxes; prefers subsidizing homeownership rather than rents for low-income residents; opposes more road-widening projects like Bastanchury Road; opposes city subsidies for car dealerships.

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Rand (Kye) Robson

Age: 30.

Occupation: Delivery driver.

Background: Has lived in city on and off since 1982. Also lived in San Jose and has traveled.

Issues: Favors public discussion of Hughes project; would like to have workfare programs assist public services to save money; supports both homeownership subsidies and rental subsidies; not in favor of road widening or rail systems but advocates bicycle use; strongly opposed to city subsidies for car dealerships.