Panel OKs Plan for Disbursing Cigarette Taxes

A local commission on Monday formally approved a plan to distribute $11.7 million a year in cigarette taxes to benefit children 5 and younger.

Under the spending plan authorized by the Children and Families First Commission of Ventura County, about $6.5 million annually would go to programs that prepare children “emotionally, socially and academically” for school.

About $1.6 million would go to physical and mental health programs countywide and $1.6 million to family support programs. Another $1.1 million would be spent on creating the Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Development--a think tank at a yet-undetermined university--to monitor the effectiveness of the programs selected for funding and to suggest future programs.

The remainder of the funds would be used for administrative costs and community outreach programs, officials said.

The commission’s decisions are final but must be justified in a report to the state.

Meanwhile, county Supervisor Kathy Long, who chairs the commission, reacted angrily to Supervisors Frank Schillo and John Flynn, who told The Times last week they were concerned about several aspects of the commission, including its choice of a consultant, a lack of ethnic and geographic diversity among its nine members, and the amount of money the panel plans to spend on creating a think tank.

Long said her board colleagues have a “political bent” to their attack, and never approached her directly with their concerns.

“If the two of them have criticisms, they didn’t ever express it in a public hearing,” she said. “I find it a little disingenuous.”

Several colleagues on the commission agreed with Long and said they plan to meet with area newspapers to clear up any misperceptions about the group.

“Whoever is making this stuff up hasn’t been to our meetings,” said commission member Charles Weis, superintendent of the county’s schools. “We need to dispel whoever has been shooting at the committee.”

But Jan Iceland, a commissioner appointed by Schillo, said some residents were concerned the Center for Excellence contract would be awarded without a competitive bidding process. Iceland said she wants to be sure all decisions are open to public scrutiny.

“If there is a way we can reassure the public, I think we should,” she said. “It’s important to our credibility.”

Kara Hillock of Ventura, a grant writer who was in the audience, urged the committee to use a competitive process when selecting a university to house the think tank. Otherwise, she said, “a lot of people in the community are not going to think it’s a real great way to dole out $1 million.”

Long, also the Board of Supervisors chairwoman, faces a reelection challenge this November from Mike Morgan, a Camarillo council member, whom Schillo has endorsed.

Flynn has not endorsed Morgan, but has suggested he might if Long is not more supportive of him on issues before the board.

Supervisor Susan Lacey, a member of the statewide commission overseeing the work of local tobacco tax commissions, said she too is suspicious of the sudden criticism.

“I’d hate to think it is [politics], but I’m somewhat mystified by why all of a sudden a year later these questions are being raised,” she said.

The local commissions were formed after the passage of Proposition 10, a statewide measure in 1998 that added a 50-cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes to raise money to expand programs for young children.

Flynn denied he and Schillo had any ulterior motives in going public with their concerns.

“It’s no attack on her,” Flynn said of Long. “When you become chair of something you must expect people to take a look at what you’re doing. We’re all busy. Sometimes you can’t get to things right away.

“I think it’s better to do it before than after” Monday’s vote on the spending plan, Flynn said. “My comments are still valid, and I’ll stand behind them.”

Parents, community groups and established child-care organizations will be invited to apply for grants in coming weeks. The first grants are expected to be awarded this summer.