Bates’ Bill Aims to Force 3rd Airport Vote

Assemblywoman Pat Bates has introduced a bill in the Legislature that would force a third vote on whether a commercial airport can be built at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

The bill by Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) would eliminate an exemption from state law that the county obtained in 1986. The exemption had freed the county from a requirement to get ballot approval before issuing revenue bonds for new or existing airports.

The exemption sought by then-Assemblyman Richard Robinson, a Santa Ana Democrat, was intended to help the county complete a planned expansion of John Wayne Airport without going to the voters for financing approval.

“At the time, an airport at El Toro wasn’t even contemplated,” said Bates, a former mayor of Laguna Niguel and staunch airport foe. “My legislation would restore good government and return to the people of Orange County their right to vote on significant bond issues.”

El Toro supporters immediately criticized the bill as a thinly disguised attempt to kill the county’s plan for a commercial airport at the base after the Marines leave in July. Supervisors envision an international airport serving 24 million passengers by 2020.

County Board of Supervisors Chairman Charles V. Smith said that even if bond approval had to go before the voters, taxpayers wouldn’t be on the hook for the costs of building El Toro. The bonds would be secured by future airport revenue, like landing fees.

“Revenue bonds are the only way to pay for an airport without the taxpayers having to,” Smith said. “All [Bates’] bill would do is drive up the cost of the airport and cause needless delays. It’s just another ploy to slow down the airport.”

Bates acknowledged that the bill’s passage is contingent on swaying not only her county colleagues--many of whom want an airport at El Toro--but also her Democratic counterparts in the Legislature.

How she fares with Democrats is the key because party members control both houses of the Legislature, and any bill would require the signature of Democratic Gov. Gray Davis.

The lone Orange County Democrat in the Assembly had harsh words Monday for Bates’ bill. Assemblyman Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) said voters already have spoken twice in favor of a commercial airport at El Toro; a third vote is unnecessary, he said.

“In central Orange County, we’ve taken the brunt of the growth,” said Correa, who insisted that the airport is needed for the county’s future economic growth.

“It’s time for South County to recognize that along with growth comes certain responsibilities for each community,” he said.

County voters approved an airport at the base in 1994; an attempt two years later to rescind that approval failed.

Bates’ bill is the second attempt by airport foes in recent weeks to force another countywide vote on the fate of the 4,700-acre base.

A coalition of South County cities recently announced a proposed countywide initiative that would require supervisors to get two-thirds’ voter approval to build or expand airports, large jails or hazardous-waste landfills. A citizens group has pledged to collect signatures to place the measure on the March 2000 ballot.

Bates said her bill is separate from the South County effort, the so-called Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative. But both have a common goal of putting the issue of El Toro before county voters one more time.

“The airport at El Toro has always been smoke and mirrors,” she said. “This will aid in disclosure because the county will have to tell us how they’re going to finance an airport and put it out there for a vote.”

Reed Royalty, head of the Orange County Taxpayers Assn., said county taxpayers won’t be at risk for the costs of El Toro even if future revenue doesn’t match the projections. The risk for revenue bonds falls on the buyers, not on taxpayers, he said.

“If she’s pretending it’s a bill to protect the taxpayers, then it’s pointless,” said Royalty, whose group supports an El Toro airport. “If it’s to kill the airport, then that’s something different.”

The last time the county issued revenue bonds was for the John Wayne Airport expansion project. Other financing techniques have been used, however, on a variety of nonairport projects since then.