Orange County ballot measures

Anaheim

Measure N

Savanna Elementary School District bond

What it would do: Authorize the sale of $24.9 million in bonds to finance improvements to schools and facilities.

Chief proponents: Jarvis Reeves, PTA president; Vickie Rush, teacher; Doug Sundman; Meredyth McClure; and Art Brown, Buena Park councilman

Chief opponents: None listed.

Main argument in favor: Measure N would renovate classrooms and school facilities to meet fire and safety codes. No funds could be used for administrators’ salaries.

Main argument against: None filed.

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Buena Park

Measure P

Adoption of a city charter for Buena Park

What it would do: As a charter city, Buena Park would be able to adopt ordinances on matters of local concern without regard to state law.

Chief proponents: Mayor Jim Dow; Gail Dixon, chief executive of Buena Park Area Chamber of Commerce; Irene Fogle, Buena Park Senior Citizens Commission; Don McCay, Buena Park Charter Exploratory Committee; Jim Adams, Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council.

Chief opponents: Baron Night, financial administrator.

Main arguments in favor: A provision in the state Constitution known as “home rule” gives charter cities more control over local matters.

Main arguments against: New laws would be adopted by the City Council, leaving out some current laws.

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Cypress

Measure M

Cypress School District bond

What it would do: Authorize the sale of $53.6 million in bonds to improve and construct school facilities.

Chief proponents: Cindy Clack; Marsha Ahn, teacher; Darrell Essex, retired city manager; Carol Erbe, school principal; and Larry Boberg.

Chief opponents: None listed.

Main arguments in favor: Measure M would renovate classrooms, libraries and school facilities to meet fire and safety codes. Funds could not be used for administrators’ salaries.

Main argument against: None filed.

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Garden Grove

Measure Q

Amend the city of Garden Grove’s term limits.

What it would do: Amend the city’s term limits ordinance to reduce the time a two-term council member must sit out before running again, from four years to two years.

Chief proponents: Mark Rosen, mayor pro tem; Bruce Broadwater, city councilman; Charles Mitchell, service officer with American Legion Post 555.

Chief opponents: Mayor William Dalton, City Councilwoman Dina Nguyen.

Main arguments in favor: Measure Q would allow the mayor and council members to be treated equally. A two-term council member has to sit out four years before being able to run again, while a mayor has to sit out two years.

Main arguments against: Voters already approved term limits. Measure Q would have no benefits to the taxpayers, only to politicians.

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Irvine

Measure R

Ratify and implement certain City Council-approved policies relating to the Orange County Great Park project.

What it would do: Affirm the major policies and programs, funding and construction, and governing structures and responsibilities of the city of Irvine and the Orange County Great Park Corp.

Chief proponents: Larry Agran, city councilman; Great Park Corp.

Chief opponents: Christina L. Shea, city councilwoman, Great Park Board director; Steven Choi, city councilman, Great Park Board member; Patrick A. Rodgers, retired police lieutenant; Richard G. Sim, former director, Great Park Board; Mark P. Petracca, former chairman, Irvine Planning Commission.

Main arguments in favor: Measure R would enable Irvine to keep control of planning, designing and building the Great Park without new taxes.

Main arguments against: Measure R would put Irvine taxpayers on the hook for potentially millions of dollars in Great Park budget shortfalls by diverting money from the general fund or raising taxes to help finance the park’s completion.

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Measure S

Irvine Personal Information Privacy Act

What it would do: Allow the city to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether personal information provided to the city by private citizens should be released to others when a public records request has been made.

Chief proponents: Mayor Beth Krom.

Chief opponents: Stephen C. Smith, auditor; G. Allan Bartlett, businessman; Jeffrey Lalloway, attorney.

Main arguments in favor: Measure S would respect the California Public Records Act while also respecting the privacy of citizens. It would protect the privacy rights of those who provide personal information when they participate in community events and activities.

Main arguments against: Measure S is crafted to allow Irvine elected officials to deny the public and the press access to documents. Measure S does not assure open, honest and transparent government at City Hall.

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La Habra

Measure T

Transactions and Use Tax in the city of La Habra

What it would do:

The proposed 0.5% tax would apply to all retail sales transactions and uses within the city. The tax would be collected by retailers and be administered by the state Board of Equalization. The sales tax would be effectively increased from 7.75% to 8.25%.

Chief proponents: Jim Tigner, president, La Habra Police Assn.; Charles A. Morse, senior advocate; David Lunceford, youth sports programs official; Paul Janoian, fire captain; Amanda Molina-Frazier, business owner.

Chief opponents: Larry Dobkin, business owner.

Main arguments in favor: Measure T would fund more police officers, antigang and antidrug prevention programs and preserve other essential community services.

Main arguments against: Measure T would increase the tax burden.

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Los Alamitos

Measure K

Los Alamitos Unified School District bond

What it would do: Authorize the sale of $126 million in bonds to provide financing for school facility projects.

Chief proponents: Diana Hill, Los Al KIDS 2008 chairwoman; Allen McLean, Rossmoor resident and business owner; Larry Strawther, Rossmoor resident and business owner; Jim Klisanin, Seal Beach resident and business owner; Margaretha V. Margrit Kendrick, Rossmoor retiree.

Chief opponents: None listed.

Main arguments in favor: Measure K would replace and upgrade school buildings, replace outdated heating and air conditioning equipment and renovate aging classrooms.

Main arguments against: None filed.

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Rossmoor

Measure U

Incorporation of Rossmoor

What it would do: Incorporate Rossmoor as a city, comprising about 988 acres and bounded by the cities of Seal Beach to the south, Los Alamitos to the north and northeast, and Long Beach to the west. Date of incorporation would be Jan. 1, 2009.

Chief proponents: Eric Christensen, Bill Gekler, Margrit Kendrick, Russ Lightcap, Mark Nitikman; Committee for Rossmoor Incorporation Now!

Chief opponents: James O. Alexander, Shirley A. Bailey, Kevin P. Boylan, La Delle L. Clark, John H. Hunt; Rossmoor Preservation Committee.

Main arguments in favor: Measure U would create a stable, viable city and improve local services and the quality of life. It would replace county bureaucrats with local control.

Main arguments against: A new city would add more bureaucracy and would be more expensive to operate. Measure U would require a new 7% or 9% utility tax.

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San Clemente

Measure V

Development of open space in San Clemente.

What it would do: Require city voter approval of any general-plan amendment, zoning ordinance amendment or specific-plan amendment that changes the permitted uses of open-space lands to non-open-space uses.

Chief proponents: Charles Mann, founder, Save San Clemente Open Space Committee; Paige D. Foreman, San Clemente mother; G. Wayne Eggleston, city councilman; Robert D. Baker, candidate for city council; Alan L. Korsen, former city councilman.

Chief opponents: Larry P. “Duffy” Brook, certified financial planner, former planning commissioner.

Main arguments in favor: Measure V would give voters the final say on the development of open space and limit traffic and congestion created by overdevelopment.

Main arguments against: There is no assault on San Clemente’s thousands of acres of designated open space.

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Measure W

Support for the proposed LAB North Beach project in San Clemente

What it would do: The advisory Measure W signals support of Playa del Norte, the proposed Little American Business project of retail, restaurant, offices, plazas and outdoor promenades on three city-owned sites in the North Beach area.

Chief proponents: Chris Bennett, Little American Business

Chief opponents: Charles Mann, Vision San Clemente; Robert Baker; Kevin Daehnke, North Beach homeowner; Gary R. Hopp, North Beach homeowner; Mary Anne Chern, Colony Cove resident.

Main arguments in favor: Playa del Norte would create a new community gathering space and would be a catalyst for the revitalization of surrounding historic buildings.

Main arguments against: North Beach can be revitalized without destroying beach and trail parking. The City Council has stated the appraised value of the land is $9 million but could sell it to LAB for $1.7 million.

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San Juan Capistrano

Measure X

Development of open space in San Juan Capistrano

What it would do: Require voter approval for any change to land designated as open space in the general plan.

Chief proponents: Mark Nielsen, mayor pro tem; Dr. Londres Uso, city councilman; Thomas Hribar, city councilman; Joe Soto, mayor; Sam Allevato, city councilman.

Chief opponents: Tom Lorch, property owner.

Main arguments in favor: Measure X would restrict future City Councils from allowing land designated as open space to be developed without a vote of the citizens.

Main arguments against: Measure X is not fair to private property owners and would not preserve property rights.

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Measure Y

General bond offering for San Juan Capistrano

What it would do: Authorize the sale of $30 million in general obligation bonds to raise money to finance land acquisition and improvements for open space.

Chief proponents: Mark Nielsen, mayor pro tem; Thomas Hribar, city councilman; Dr. Londres Uso, city councilman; Sam Allevato, city councilman; Joe Soto, mayor.

Chief opponents: None listed.

Main arguments in favor: Measure Y would help preserve open space and would control growth and traffic in a manner that helps protect air quality and ridgeline views.

Main arguments against: None filed.

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Seal Beach

Measure Z

Height limit for residential development in Seal Beach neighborhood.

What it would do: Establish a maximum height limit of 25 feet for residential development in the Old Town area of Seal Beach.

Chief proponents: Edna L. Wilson, former mayor; Charles Antos, mayor; Gordon A. Shanks, councilman, District 3; Barbara Barton, former councilwoman; Thomas Blackman.

Chief opponents: Mary Parker Lewis, chairman, Save Our Seal Beach; Eldon Alexander, director, Save Our Seal Beach.

Main arguments in favor: Measure Z would ensure that Old Town retains its charm and character at no cost to the citizens or the city. It would guarantee property rights for all homeowners and preserve the authentic beach village.

Main arguments against: Measure Z would increase utility taxes, reduce the value of Seal Beach property and decrease revenue for schools.

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Tustin

Measure L

Tustin Unified School District bond

What it would do: Authorize the sale of $95 million in bonds to finance the construction, renovation and repair of elementary, middle and high school facilities.

Chief proponents: Jeanine M. Raab, PTA leader; Gerald Aust; Daniel J. Brothman; Dean R. O’Dell and Harriet Walther, a retired college trustee.

Chief opponents: Jerry Amante, mayor; Lou Bone, councilman; Scot Proud, chairman, Tustin Chamber of Commerce; and Erin Moore.

Main arguments in favor: Measure L would provide much-needed repairs and improvements at Foothill and Tustin high schools and would help technology and science labs meet advanced course requirements for university admission.

Main arguments against: The district previously was granted an $80-million bond for school improvement work. The current request comes at a time of financial uncertainty.

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Villa Park

Measure AA

Display national motto “In God We Trust” in the Villa Park City Council Chambers.

What it would do: Direct the City Council to display “In God We Trust” in chambers. The city attorney believes the use of this phrase is constitutional.

Chief proponents: Brad Reese, mayor; Deborah Pauly, councilwoman.

Chief opponents: Arnold F. Goodman, PhD; Robert E. McGowan, former four-term city councilman and two-term mayor.

Main arguments in favor: Measure AA would give Villa Park residents an opportunity for the city to go on record and align themselves with their heritage.

Main arguments against: Measure AA would use official positions for divisive personal purposes. It would divert city business from more important needs.

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Westminster

Measure O

Westminster City School District bond

What it would do: Authorize the sale of $130 million in bonds to provide financing for school facility projects.

Chief Proponents: Robyn L. Sottile; Gloria O. Reyes; Linh V. Nguyen; Crystal R. Wadsworth and Vincent L. Petronzio.

Chief opponents: Gus Sifuentes; Stephanie Erickson; Judith Ahrens; Vaughn Becht; and Vivian Kirkpatrick-Pilger, president, Citizens for Government Accountability.

Main arguments in favor: Measure O would pay for essential repairs to schools and classrooms and help fund improved technology at a time when the budget is strained.

Main arguments against: Measure O would add to the district’s existing debt load of $25.29 million at a time of financial instability in the country and state.

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Yorba Linda

Measure BB

Limitation of the use of eminent domain

What it would do: Prohibit the use of eminent domain by the City Council or any city-affiliated agency to acquire any real property from a private property owner for purposes of conveying such property to another private party for any for-profit commercial activity.

Chief proponents: John Anderson, councilman; Henry W. Wedaa, councilman; Jan Horton, mayor pro tem; Jim Winder, mayor; Allen Castellano, councilman.

Chief opponents: None listed.

Main arguments in favor: Measure BB would stop eminent domain abuse and would protect private property rights.

Main arguments against: None filed.

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Countywide

Measure J

Voter approval of pension benefit increases

What it would do: Add provisions to the County Charter requiring voter approval of certain increases in retirement benefits for county employees and officials who are in the county retirement system.

Chief proponents: John Moorlach, CPA and chairman, Orange County Board of Supervisors; Reed L. Royalty, president, Orange County Taxpayers Assn.

Chief opponents: None listed.

Main arguments in favor: Measure J would protect Orange County taxpayers and would give voters the final say over future pension increases for elected officials and employees.

Main arguments against: None filed.

-- Compiled by Ava Ghofranian