Aliso Viejo Cityhood Bid Smooth, Races Bumpy

If voters approve Measure A on Tuesday--and all indications are that they will--Aliso Viejo will become Orange County’s 34th city, having grown in less than two decades from a few scattered houses in an unincorporated area to a booming community of 45,000.

“It’s time for us,” said Carmen L. Vali, a leader in the cityhood campaign and one of 12 candidates for the first five-seat City Council. “We’re big enough that we have the capability. Any earlier and we wouldn’t have had the strong revenue stream we currently have.”

There has been no formal opposition to the incorporation of the community, whose first homes were built in the early 1980s. It has a broad retail base with two large shopping centers: Aliso Viejo Town Center on Aliso Creek Road, anchored by Super Kmart, Pier 1, Staples and a Ralphs supermarket; and Aliso Viejo Plaza on La Paz Road, anchored by Target and a Stater Bros. supermarket.

The biggest advantage to incorporation would be increased local control over services, said Kenneth G. Lee, a policy analyst with the Local Agency Formation Commission, which decides cityhood feasibility.

As a city, Aliso Viejo would be able to contract with the county Sheriff’s Department and Fire Authority to design its own police and public safety coverage, distinguishing it from the unincorporated areas that the two agencies serve, Lee said.

It also would have control over planning and development. For unincorporated areas, those decisions are made by the county.

And Aliso Viejo might hold the distinction of being Orange County’s newest city for some time. No other residential or commercial development in progress or being planned is likely to generate enough revenue within the next 20 years to make it a viable self-supporting city, Lee said.

The City Council candidates agree on major issues. All say Aliso Viejo should join the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority, the South County alliance fighting plans for an international airport at the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, which closed in 1999. And all say they would try to avoid new taxes of any kind.

In spite of that--or maybe because of it--the campaign has been highly charged and emotional, with complaints filed by two factions of office seekers against each other.

“The less divisive the issues, the more devilish the campaign,” said Mark Petracca, a professor of political science at UC Irvine. “Why? Because people have no other way of differentiating themselves. If everyone is in agreement on the big things, the only thing left to do is attack the opponent’s personality and integrity.”

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Most of the mudslinging has been between two slates of candidates. One group is composed of three longtime cityhood backers: Vali, Cynthia Pickett and William Phillips, who all hold leadership roles in the Aliso Viejo Community Assn. Making up the other slate are Russell Reinhart, Sherry Bushman, Greg Ficke and Rich Olquin, who is also active in the community association.

Reinhart filed a complaint last month with the state Fair Political Practices Commission accusing Vali, Pickett and Phillips of wrongly using for their own campaigns money raised through a political action committee formed to promote cityhood. Representatives of the PAC, called the Aliso Viejo Committee for Cityhood, vehemently denied the allegation.

The three candidates drew attention in January after the PAC sent out a campaign flier bearing the logo of a nonprofit agency, Aliso Viejo Cityhood 2000. The nonprofit was formed years earlier by some members of the current PAC to support putting the cityhood issue on the ballot. The three candidates on the current slate were also active in the Cityhood 2000 group. Once the goal of getting the measure on the ballot was accomplished, members of Cityhood 2000 formed the separate PAC.

Under state law, PACs can support candidates provided the committees notify the secretary of state’s office, which the group has done, state records show. However, Cityhood 2000 was formed only to “provide education and communication on community issues,” according to an application the group filed with the state Franchise Tax Board in July 1995, when the cityhood movement began.

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Reinhart and other critics say that because the flier endorsed candidates, it exceeded Cityhood 2000’s stated purpose.

Barry Adams, the political action committee’s chairman, said the flier was drafted on leftover Cityhood 2000 stationery and that the logo should have been removed before it was copied.

“We drafted the letter, and we made a mistake,” Adams said. “It was a printing error.”

Last week, the PAC fired back with a complaint to the Orange County district attorney against Reinhart, who is a Huntington Beach police officer, accusing him of violating state law by appearing in police uniform on his campaign literature.

The law states that government employees seeking elected office cannot participate in campaign activities while in uniform. Reinhart responded that the badge and patch in the photograph “have been altered and are not city property.”

Reinhart also drew criticism from the Orange County Deputy Sheriffs Assn. for saying in campaign fliers that the group had endorsed his candidacy. The union said it has not issued endorsements in the campaign.

Such negativity during the campaign could make for strife later if candidates from both slates are elected, political scientist Petracca said.

“This genie is hard to put back in the bottle,” he said. “Once you’ve said fairly nasty things about people, it can be very difficult to get past that--unless people are willing to rise above that. But normally, people on a local government level aren’t able to because they aren’t professional politicians. This is their first time to the dance.”

Some candidates who have not sided with either slate say they think the rancor might work in their favor.

“I personally would not want the new city to be under the control of one group or clique,” candidate Bruce Juenger said.

Contender Gary V. Miller said he has been so busy working on his own campaign that he and his supporters “weren’t aware” that the council race had turned nasty.

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Aliso Viejo City Council Candidates

SHERRY BUSHMAN

Age: 32

Occupation: Financial analyst

Background: Business degree, University of Phoenix; certified in business computer programming; member Women’s Federated Group, a Republican political association.

Issues: Establish fiscal viability in the city; provide financial support for anti-airport battle; establish a positive relationship with the school district; establish strong public safety forces within the city; foster strong relationship with Aliso Viejo’s business community.

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BILL CONLEY

Age: 52

Occupation: Facility manager

Background: English literature degree, University of Massachusetts, Boston; facilities design and management certificate, UC Irvine and Michigan State University; member International Facility Management Assn.; collected signatures for Aliso Viejo Cityhood 2000 campaign.

Issues: Wants city to join El Toro Reuse Planning Authority; create a sound city budget; increase police force by 34%; gain local control over planning, traffic and public safety; build a community center; offer city-sponsored community services.

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RICHARD FORSYTH

Age: 36

Occupation: Police sergeant

Background: Professional certification in employee management from Cal State Fullerton; working on organizational management degree from Western Illinois University satellite program; four-year member of Buena Park Police Officers Assn. Board of Directors.

Issues: Wants city to have strong voice in fight against an airport at El Toro; believes public safety should be a priority, with the city providing adequate staffing and facilities, and maintaining a good relationship with county agencies.

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GREG FICKE

Age: 46

Occupation: Small-business owner

Background: Volunteer in Boy Scouts, youth soccer and baseball programs; supporter of the anti-airport Measure F campaign.

Issues: Wants city to have a strong voice in fight against an airport at El Toro; create joint-use agreements with school district so city and schools can share playing fields and other facilities; implement a sound budget; foster strong relationship with Aliso Viejo business community; ensure adequate staffing of police and fire departments; work with the Transportation Corridor Agencies to improve access to the toll road.

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BRUCE JUENGER

Age: 49

Occupation: Asset manager

Background: Economic geography degree, University of Illinois; licensed real estate broker; involved in fund-raising efforts for local charities; volunteered with Aliso Viejo Cityhood 2000 Committee.

Issues: Wants city to join El Toro Reuse Planning Authority to fight an airport at El Toro; work with Transportation Corridor Agencies to improve access to the 73 Freeway; create a traffic advisory panel; retain the Aliso Viejo Community Assn. to serve as city’s parks and recreation committee; adopt sound budget.

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GARY V. MILLER

Age: 58

Occupation: Educator

Background: Former West Covina City Council memeber, Mt. San Antonio Community College trustee, veterans affairs coordinator at Citrus Community College; U.S. Navy veteran; education degree, Azusa Pacific University.

Issues: Develop strong voice in fight against an airport at El Toro; select a city manager who will create and maintain a balanced budget; establish close relationship with the Chamber of Commerce to improve sales tax base; work with county to provide police, fire and library services; preserve open space; promote resident involvement in development issues, including construction of a community center.

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RICH OLQUIN

Age: 35

Occupation: Management consultant

Background: Political science degree, UCLA; Aliso Viejo Community Assn. Master Architectural Committee; restoration advisory board, El Toro Marine Corps Air Station; Aliso Viejo Chamber of Commerce director; grant administrator for McColl toxic waste site cleanup committee in Fullerton; active in Republican Party.

Issues: Believes city should have voice in fight against an airport at El Toro; establish strong police and firefighting forces in the city; foster a healthy relationship between the city and school district.

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WILLIAM PHILLIPS

Age: 40

Occupation: Urban designer

Background: Architecture degree, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; Aliso Viejo Community Assn. Parks and Recreation Committee; Aliso Viejo Cityhood 2000 Committee; Urban Land Institute; co-chaired campaign to fight development of an airport at El Toro.

Issues: Gain a strong voice in fight against an airport at El Toro; would like city to get involved in lobbying efforts at the county, regional and national levels; gain control over land use and sales, and property tax revenue; build community center.

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CYNTHIA PICKETT

Age: 39

Occupation: Certified benefits specialist, business owner

Background: Six-year member, Aliso Viejo Community Assn. board; South Orange County Chambers of Commerce; Assn. of American University Women; International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans; co-founder, Aliso Viejo Cityhood 2000 Committee.

Issues: Wants to increase law enforcement services; complete infrastructure projects; enhance community service programs; no new taxes; establish a sound budget; join El Toro Reuse Planning Authority and participate financially in the fight against an airport; keep Aliso Viejo Community Assn. in charge of parks and recreation.

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RUSSELL REINHART

Age: 35

Occupation: Police officer

Background: President, Huntington Beach Police Officers Assn.; Orange County chapter president, Peace Officers Research Assn. of California; fund-raising efforts for Boy Scouts, DARE; member, Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation, California Peace Officers Memorial Foundation.

Issues: Gain a strong voice in fight against an airport at El Toro; establish city-sponsored youth programs and activities; foster a healthy relationship with the school district; draft an open-space policy; expand library services; establish strong public safety forces in the city.

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CARMEN L. VALI

Age: 35

Occupation: Land-use planner

Background: English and psychology degrees, Stanford University; co-founder, Aliso Viejo Cityhood 2000 Committee; member, numerous Aliso Viejo Community Assn. committees.

Issues: Wants local control over tax dollars and city planning; wants Aliso Viejo to gain voice in regional issues, including the fight against an airport at El Toro; join regional boards such as El Toro Reuse Planning Authority and Transportation Corridor Agencies; implement a sound budget.

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KARL P. WARKOMSKI

Age: 33

Occupation: Business owner

Background: Public administration degrees, UC Irvine, USC; member, South Orange County Chambers of Commerce, Sierra Club-Sierra Sage Chapter, Surfrider Foundation, California Public Interest Research Group.

Issues: Join El Toro Reuse Planning Authority to fight an airport at El Toro; secure federal funds to restore Aliso Creek watershed; lobby to have a full-service post office built in Aliso Viejo; create a citizens advisory council to foster public involvement; enhance sales tax revenue by expansion of Town Center Village; build a community and events center.