Landslide Vote Makes Aliso Viejo a City

By MIKE ANTON and TINA BORGATTA

March 7, 2001 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITERS

Aliso Viejo residents voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to become Orange County’s newest city, adding another voice to those objecting to a commercial airport at El Toro and further eroding the power of county government in the booming southern suburbs.

The move--approved by 93% of the voters--caps for the moment an era of rapid incorporation that had seen eight cities formed in Orange County in the last 13 years.

In that time, battle lines moved but the reasons for cityhood remained the same: a feeling of being underrepresented by a county government based in Santa Ana and a desire for local control over how tax dollars are spent.

“This is part of the natural process in the maturation of a suburban area,” said Mark Petracca, chairman of the political science department at the UC Irvine. “There aren’t that many old cities in Orange County.”

But the creation of the city of Aliso Viejo, population 45,000, has implications that reach far beyond its borders. As an unincorporated area, Aliso Viejo had no standing in the debate over building an airport at the former El Toro Marine base. As a city, it can join the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority and financially back the group which opposes the airport plan.

“Aliso Viejo is right on the approach path to El Toro. They have a huge stake in what happens,” said Meg Waters, a spokeswoman for ETRPA. “We welcome them to the fold--and we need them.”

Waters’ public relations firm, in fact, worked on the cityhood campaign for Aliso Viejo, where concern over the airport plan is widespread. That was what drew some people to the voting booth.

“I don’t want an airport, and that’s why I’m voting for cityhood,” resident Carolyn Toth said.

Said resident George Kataoka: “I think our council, our city, will have a stronger voice now. When they did the flight test, they flew right over my house, and it was awful.”

The airport is the biggest issue that defines South County, but the region’s growing population and political consolidation will enhance its power on environmental, transportation and other issues, Petracca said.

And as the number of people living in unincorporated areas continues to dwindle, Petracca said, questions about the size of county government and its role are sure to be raised.

“The county was once a very important primary service provider for a large number of people,” Petracca said. “That’s no longer the case.”

Of the nearly 1.3 million registered voters in Orange County, only 79,219 lived in unincorporated areas prior to Tuesday’s vote in Aliso Viejo. Now, fewer than 60,000 voters do.

Aliso Viejo, the county’s 34th city, also has the youngest population in Southern California. With a median age of 29, the community’s lower housing costs have made it an ethnically diverse mecca for first-time home buyers since the mid-1980s.

Chosen to serve as Aliso Viejo’s inaugural City Council were Carmen L. Vali, Cynthia Pickett, William Phillips, Greg Ficke and Karl P. Warkomski. After six years of pushing for incorporation, city leaders now have until July 1 to form a municipal government.

That will not be easy. A city staff will need to be hired. Contracts for police and community services will have to be drawn. Myriad details, from insurance to office space, are on the agenda.

“It’s a real juggling act,” said William O. Talley, city manager for Rancho Santa Margarita.

He should know. Talley has been on the ground floor of several cities, including the one he works for now, which is barely a year old. When Dana Point incorporated, Talley used his wife’s business credit card to obtain furniture, telephones and office supplies for the new city.

“The population of a new city has very high expectations, and you’re stretched a little thin,” he said.

Resident Chris Ramsey certainly has high expectations of newly elected city leaders. He believes the decision-making power should go to people who live in the community, not county representatives.

“I think to get the county out of here is a good idea,” Ramsey said. “I think we could do a better job of managing this area than the Board of Supervisors. . . . It’s an issue of local control.”

Those expectations were evident Tuesday as residents and newly elected council members expressed excitement regarding the results. “This is wonderful,” said Vali, whose 14% of the vote led all other candidates. “It’s better than what we had hoped for.”

While voters overwhelmingly approved cityhood, some residents expressed concern that Aliso Viejo might not have the financial bedrock to make the city a success. The community’s economy is driven by its retail industry dominated by a pair of sprawling shopping malls, the Aliso Viejo Town Center and Aliso Viejo Plaza. A handful of dot-coms, including cash-strapped Buy.Com, would be expected to contribute to the community’s revenue stream.

Some residents are leery of what the future holds.

“Incorporation might be a good deal,” resident Henry Chenerides said. “My reservation is that I’m not quite sure about our capability to support a community of this size. . . . If they find out, ‘Uh-oh, we underestimated something by a million dollars,’ what will that mean?”

Ed Rund believes cityhood will mean more taxes for residents.

“How else are you going to pay for a mayor, a City Council, a City Hall, a police department, a fire department?” Rund asked. “Right now, we’re getting those services from the county, and they’re doing a good job.”

Setting up the city’s budget should be among the council’s first objectives, and public safety should get the first look, he said.

Aliso Viejo relies on the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Orange County Fire Authority for police and firefighting services. While that won’t change, at least not initially, the new city will be able to tailor its own public safety forces through contract agreements with the county agencies.

A clear priority with the council members-elect is to land a spot quickly on ETRPA, which has led the charge to block an airport at the former Marine base. Next to the cityhood issue itself, the airport was the dominant campaign plank of all 12 candidates.

The council race, which began peacefully, was anything but friendly in the final weeks. Complaints were filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission alleging campaign reporting violations, a restraining order was obtained by one candidate to prevent the Aliso Viejo Community Assn. from removing his signs from private property and political mudslinging erupted between the race’s two main slates.

For resident Kurt Ebner, it was a reason to vote against cityhood.

“Based on the display the candidates have given, I think cityhood is a bad idea,” Ebner said. “There was so much fighting and bickering and bad behavior. I don’t think we need that on a city council.”

For most, however, cityhood seemed to represent a positive outcome to a bitterly fought campaign. “I think people will get over their personal differences for the common goal,” Councilman-elect Warkomski said. “That’s what’s best for the community.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Aliso Viejo

With a median age of 29, Aliso Viejo is one of the state’s youngest communities.

POPULATION*

1991: 8,902

1992: 9,877

1993: 11,415

1994: 15,471

1999: 16,669

1996: 19,029

1997: 20,622

1998: 24,759