El Toro Expenses Could Drive Up John Wayne Fees

Orange County officials acknowledged for the first time Tuesday that the continued drain of John Wayne Airport revenues on planning for a new airfield at El Toro could mean higher fees for parking and use of the terminal.

The county has funneled $34.8 million since 1995 from John Wayne into El Toro planning, with an additional $10.4 million to be spent through June. The figures are included in John Wayne’s 2001 business plan, distributed to supervisors late last week.

Until now, county officials have insisted that the millions spent on El Toro hasn’t harmed the airport’s cash reserves and that bond debt from a $300-million expansion completed in 1990 could be repaid early.

But Airport Director Alan Murphy wrote in John Wayne’s current business plan that covering El Toro costs has taken a toll. Continued use of John Wayne funds as the primary source for planning El Toro “could result in fee increases to the passengers and other airport clients,” Murphy wrote in the 25-page report.

He didn’t specify which fees might be targeted for increases. The facility does not charge a per-ticket fee, as do most other major airports. El Toro’s drain on the airport’s cash reserves also could affect the county’s ability to repay debt early, Murphy said.

Airport officials could not be reached for further comment Tuesday.

The funding warning coincides with Tuesday’s approval of $5 million in airport funds to be spent over the next 15 months on a public-information campaign to promote the county’s plan for the closed Marine base. The campaign will be handled by the Orange County Regional Airport Authority, a 13-city coalition that supports the proposed airport.

The three pro-airport supervisors--and board majority--who approved the expenditure argued that it was necessary to counter about $15 million a year being spent by South County cities to fight the airport. To punctuate their point, the board chambers were dotted with poster-size blowups of nine anti-airport mailers sent countywide in the last two years. The county spent $176,000 last year to promote its El Toro plans.

“Ladies and gentlemen, enough is enough,” Supervisor Chuck Smith said. “A seemingly endless supply of your tax dollars [from cities] are being spent by the South County spin machine. The county has a responsibility to provide facts about an El Toro airport.”

“I don’t know of any other way” to distribute information about the airport, said Supervisor Jim Silva. While conceding that the material “will be biased if we’re sending it out,” he asked that it be presented in a neutral way.

Supervisors Todd Spitzer and Tom Wilson, who oppose the new airport, said they will ask Navy and federal aviation officials to review the county’s action. Wilson questioned whether it was legal or even appropriate for John Wayne Airport funds to be used; Spitzer said the county’s own attorney in 1999 advised that an El Toro public relations campaign couldn’t be delegated to a third party.

“The FAA should rule on this,” Spitzer said. “This is not the county’s money.”

Difference of Opinions

Spitzer said the board vote contradicted advice given in 1999 by County Counsel Laurence M. Watson that El Toro planning must stay with the county.

Watson said Tuesday that the county wasn’t delegating its authority to the cities’ group and would retain control over the program. He said the spending will be approved through Gary Simon, hired late last year to manage the El Toro planning office.

That explanation didn’t fly with Spitzer. He said Watson’s earlier advice indicated that the county could pass only “ministerial” functions to the group, such as distributing county literature on the airport in city utility bills.

“No one can argue that $5 million is ministerial,” Spitzer said.

The vote came after two hours of testimony by more than two dozen speakers. Those supporting the county’s airport plans urged spending the money to counter two years’ worth of mailers, cable television spots and newspaper advertisements by South County airport foes. Those opposing the plan said they have been forced to defend their quality of life.

North County cities “do not have the luxury to squander millions of dollars on a public relations program,” said Garden Grove Councilman Mark Rosen, a a member of the regional airport authority. “It’s time to provide some balance in the public debate.”

Several Inglewood residents opposed to a proposed expansion of Los Angeles International Airport urged the county to build the new airport and take the strain off more flights above their homes.

“I don’t understand why South County wants to be a burden on people like me,” Mike Stevens said.

Airport foes said the money would be spent not to inform but to “brainwash” the public on the county’s El Toro plans.

“You lied about noise, you lied about pollution . . . and you lied about safety in your desperation not to arouse heavily populated neighborhoods against your plan,” said Tristian Krogius of Dana Point. “What angers and motivates us is the incredible web of deception you’ve woven.”

Bill Kogerman, head of Citizens for Safe and Healthy Communities, said the board vote could trigger a recall action against the pro-airport majority.

South County cities hope to place a measure on the March 2002 ballot that would rescind the 1994 voter approval for the new airport.