LOCAL ELECTIONS / ANAHEIM : City Council, Utility Issues Rouse Voters

Three propositions on the city’s Nov. 3 ballot would affect the way the City Council is elected and how it spends Utility Department profits, stirring opposition from some labor and business leaders.

Measure A would restrict City Council members and the mayor to two terms in office.

Measure H is an advisory measure that would ask the council to adopt an ordinance prohibiting council and mayoral candidates from accepting more than $1,000 in campaign contributions from any source.

Measure B would allow the council to use up to 8% of the Utility Department’s gross revenue for city functions such as police, firefighting and library services. The limit now is 4%.

Five other measures, called “bookkeeping” propositions by city officials, have generated little interest. Measure D, for example, would increase from $500 to $1,000 the maximum fine the city can impose for misdemeanors.

Proponents of Measure A, including Mayor Fred Hunter and Councilman William D. Ehrle, say the amendment will assure that new people with fresh ideas are continually added to the council.

Measure A would limit council members and mayors to eight consecutive years in office. After eight years, they could not run for the same office again for at least two years. However, council members could still run for mayor during that period and mayors could run for the council.

“What we need to do is get rid of the career politicians,’ Hunter told an audience last week.

Opponents say throughout city history few council members have served longer than eight years, and those that have were generally well respected. They say it should be the voters and not the charter that decides when a council member or a mayor is forced out of office.

“I don’t think citizens should ever give up the right to choose who they want in office,” said Sharon Ericson, the president of the Anaheim Municipal Employees Assn., the largest of Anaheim’s city employee unions. Ericson said she personally opposes the measure, although her group has not taken a position on it.

“A lot of the council members are going to be long gone before eight years, but if they are doing a good job we should be able to keep them in office,” she said.

Measure H was proposed after a series of stories in The Times Orange County Edition showed incumbents have raised up to $200,000 in campaign contributions from developers, businesses, unions and other interests, while their opponents received considerably less. Hunter, Ehrle and Councilman Tom Daly each support the measure, even though each has been a highly successful fund-raiser since the mid-1980s.

Although Measure H is non-binding, council members have promised to enact it if the advisory vote passes.

“I don’t think that this measure is perfect, but it is a start to true reform, and it seems to work in those cities where the system is in place,” Daly said. “Campaigns in those cities appear to cost less.”

Opponents say a $1,000 contribution limit will not hurt incumbents because they can raise dozens of $500 and $800 contributions, while challengers often have to rely on fewer than 10 backers for their support.

“The incumbents can go out and have lobbyists raise money from a lot of different people, but the little guy, he can’t do that,” Ericson said. “It would be better if they could limit the amount of money any candidate could spend on his campaign to $40,000. That would make things more equal.”

Proponents of Measure B say that from 1932 to 1980, there was no limit on the amount of money the council could take out of the gross revenue of the Utility Department, which provides the city’s water and electricity and has gross revenues in excess of $200 million annually. They say the limit was installed in order to sell $1 billion in bonds that paid the city’s share for building two electric generating stations. The stations are now operating and providing a profit for the city that should be tapped, according to proponents.

“The Utility Department has so much money that it is just giving things away,” said Joe White, a member of the city’s Public Utility Advisory Board. “If you want a (low-flow) toilet, they’ll give you $100 to go buy one. If you want a (low-flow) shower head, they’ve got those too.”

Opponents say that if the council is allowed to take more money out of the Utility Department it will lead to higher electric and water bills.

“If you vote yes on Measure B, the city will transfer $11 million for utilities into the general fund,” writes Ramon E. Torres Jr., president of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, in his ballot pamphlet argument against the measure.

“Next they will have to increase our electric and water rates by 4% to make up for the loss to the Utility Department,” Torres said.

Anaheim City Council Candidates

Two seats on the Anaheim City Council, in addition to the mayor’s seat, will be decided in the Nov. 3 election.

MAYOR

Fred Hunter

Age: 50.

Occupation: Attorney.

Background: Seeking reelection to third mayoral term. First elected to City Council in November, 1986; worked as Anaheim police officer for 10 years before leaving the department in 1975 to pursue career as attorney; served in the Navy from 1959 to 1962 and attended Fullerton Community College.

Priorities: Says major projects such as $3-billion Disneyland expansion, completion of Anaheim sports arena and the revitalization of the city’s downtown will attract more job opportunities to the city; continues call for additional police officers.

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Tom Daly

Age: 38.

Occupation: Building Industry Assn. administrator.

Background: First elected to the City Council in 1988; former administrative assistant to County Supervisors Ralph Clark and Don R. Roth; trustee of the Anaheim Union High School District for 2 1/2 years; graduate of Harvard University.

Priorities: Says primary focus should be on preservation and safety of local neighborhoods, especially with the increased presence of gangs; would encourage city administrators to produce balanced budgets without tax or fee increases.

CITY COUNCIL

Fares (Ferris) Batarseh

Age: 33.

Occupation: Wholesale food sales.

Background: A resident of central and north Orange County since 1981, and resident of Anaheim for about five years; is treasurer of the Villa Frontera Homeowners Assn. in east Anaheim.

Priorities: Would support moratorium on further construction of high-density apartment units, which he contends can be directly connected to violent crime in the city; urges development of townhouses and condominiums as an alternative to keep up with city population growth.

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Tom Daly

Note: Mayoral candidates must be incumbent City Council members. Retains ballot position for reelection as councilman.

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William D. Ehrle

Age: 50.

Occupation: Development company executive.

Background: Seeking second full term as councilman, having attained position in 1987 special election; former history and government instructor at Loara High School.

Priorities: Cites 1991 vote against citywide utility tax as key in his pledge to oppose future tax and fee increases; favors citywide ballot measure that would limit mayor and council members to two four-year terms; also favors a non-binding ballot measure that would limit campaign contributions to mayor or council members to $1,000.

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Frank Feldhaus

Age: 64.

Occupation: Retired businessman.

Background: Owned telecommunications business in Anaheim for past 32 years; served 5 1/2 years on city Planning Commission; a former reserve police officer; served as a teacher’s aide in the Anaheim Elementary School District; ran unsuccessful campaign in 1990 for council seat.

Priorities: Contends that the proliferation of crime and gangs are the city’s most pressing problems; opposes the Anaheim sports arena project, and says more attention should be focused on retail and industrial businesses; advocates a “business approach” in managing city government.

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Bill Fitzgerald

Age: Declined to state.

Occupation: Army aviation specialist.

Background: Lifelong Anaheim resident; Katella High School graduate, attended Cal State Fullerton; member of Anaheim HOME, local homeowners group which has been critical of planned Disneyland expansion and its proximity to neighborhoods.

Priorities: Advocates a 10% tax citywide on admission fees of more than $10 to entertainment facilities, including Disneyland; would initiate investigations of city employees who have received benefits from Disneyland; opposes the city’s long-term garbage collection contract with Anaheim Disposal Co.

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Todd E. Kaudy

Age: 22.

Occupation: Orange County social worker.

Background: Attended Loara High School and graduated last year from Cal State Fullerton with degree in sociology. While a college student, served as volunteer counselor for victims of child abuse in Santa Barbara County.

Priorities: Urges formation of a neighborhood congress consisting of representatives from 20 neighborhoods throughout the city, which would communicate residents’ needs through a series of town hall meetings with city officials.

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Phil Knypstra

Age: 55.

Occupation: College professor.

Background: Former Anaheim police sergeant who for past 19 years has worked as professor of business and accounting at El Camino College; graduate of Fullerton College and Cal State Fullerton.

Priorities: Opposes any new tax or fee increases for city residents; supports proposed Disneyland expansion but only on condition that it does not put residents at further financial risk.

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Keith Olesen

Age: 40.

Occupation: Businessman.

Background: Chairman of city’s Gang/Drug Task Force, which earlier this year urged expansion of Police Department’s gang unit; chairman of Central City Neighborhood Council and Anaheim Neighborhood Assn.; chairman of city’s Community Development Block Grant Program.

Priorities: Would direct additional resources to maintain neighborhoods citywide; contends that the council has ignored public safety and neighborhood issues in favor of special interests.

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Manuel T. Ontiveros

Age: 18.

Occupation: Student.

Background: 1992 graduate of Savanna High School, where he served as student body president in senior year; former student representative to the Anaheim Union High School District.

Priorities: Vows to curtail influence of lobbyists, especially those who represent development interests in the city; would urge more aggressive drug education programs in city school districts.

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Edward Skinner

Age: 47.

Occupation: Self-employed.

Background: A resident of Anaheim since 1985; former salesman for National Sanitary Supply Co. for 19 years before leaving in 1989 to open his own business; unsuccessful candidate for the 28th Congressional District seat in Los Angeles County in 1976.

Priorities: Advocates slowing development of high-density apartment units in the city; proposes stronger efforts to retain businesses and attract new ones for expansion of job base.

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Frank Turner

Age: 45.

Occupation: Los Angeles County fire captain

Background: A resident of Anaheim for two years; Los Angeles County firefighter for past 14 1/2 years.

Priorities: Urges more effective budget management and says long-term financial planning could help eliminate the need to continue cutting personnel and services; favors Disneyland expansion as way to bring more jobs and income to the city.

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Bob Zemel

Age: 39.

Occupation: Mortgage company executive.

Background: Member of city Planning Commission; co-chairman of last year’s campaign against sales tax increase that would have supported jail construction in Gypsum Canyon.

Priorities: Contends that current structure of municipal government is not responsive to residents and that city suffers from lack of leadership; favors Measure A on citywide ballot that would limit the mayor and council members to two consecutive terms in office.