Who's pledging not to take developer money?

For the first time in nearly two decades, most of the leading contenders for City Council positions are pledging not to solicit or accept election-year donations from developers.

Developers and other individuals and businesses associated with the building industry have long played a significant role in Yorba Linda’s municipal balloting by contributing cash to the campaign treasuries of incumbents and challengers supported by incumbents.

But expensive efforts to defeat Measure B, the citizen-sponsored Right-to-Vote on Land-Use Amendments initiative, and quash petitions seeking a public vote on a pair of hastily adopted Town Center zoning ordinances drew concerned attention from many residents.

Outside-the-city builders and real estate-related interests put up all of the $174,150 that was raised to oppose Measure B, and Michael Dieden’s Creative Housing Associates and Greg Brown’s BH Urban Equities provided $115,000 to fight the Town Center petitions.

The Right-to-Vote initiative secured a narrow 299-vote victory, and the more than 9,000 signatures on each of two zoning petitions convinced council to rescind the new decrees.

This year, Keri Wilson, the lone incumbent seeking a new term, says she will not accept donations from developers as she did in her narrow three-vote victory in 2002. Wilson affirms, “I will not be accepting developer money.”

Also nixing developer cash are running mates John Anderson and Jan Horton. Anderson states, “I will not take money from developers,” and Horton says, “I will not accept money from developers that do business in our city.”

However, Doug Dickerson says he welcomes contributions from “individuals, businesses or any group regardless of their affiliation,” if they “understand that I will always vote my conscience and what I believe is best for the citizens and the city.”

Other positions include Walter Bruckner’s “I will accept contributions from developers”; Diana Hudson’s “I have not nor do I intend to solicit funds from developers”; and Alex Mikkelsen’s “I will evaluate any offer to contribute on an individual case-by-case basis.”

In other election news, the county Republican Central Committee endorsed Wilson in a unanimous vote last month and Dickerson in a 39-14 vote last week, according to member Mark Schwing.

County Democrats endorsed Bruckner and Horton, but there’s little partisan advantage in that decision, since Democrats comprise only 8,904 of the city’s 40,413 registered voters.

In the race to finish two years remaining on a North Orange County Community College District trustee term, the Democrats endorsed appointed incumbent Mike Matsuda of Yorba Linda and the Republicans endorsed challenger Tim Shaw of La Habra.

A FINAL NOTE

Jim Bell moved to Yorba Linda 31 years ago, when he began his first teaching job at Valencia High School. Last month he was named principal of the Tiger campus, which enrolls 319 Yorba Linda students, nearly half in the International Baccalaureate program.

Bell was a key figure in bringing the IB curriculum to the Placentia-Yorba Linda district. All of Valencia’s 28 senior candidates earned the prestigious degree this year as members of the school’s first graduating IB class.

Bell taught social science classes for 22 years, coached basketball for 11 years and tennis four years and was assistant principal for eight years before assuming the top leadership post. Bell also has coached in several community youth baseball and soccer leagues.

Where candidates get their money

Naturally, candidates seeking the two City Council seats on the Nov. 7 ballot are telling voters about their qualifications for office and their grand ideas for Yorba Linda’s future.

But they’re also revealing a few details about their business interests and income sources.

The state’s Political Reform Act, a citizen-sponsored initiative approved by voters in 1974, requires candidates to report their investments, positions in business entities, real property and income from sources that are located in or doing business in Yorba Linda.

The reporting requirements involve only wide-range monetary categories, including amounts up to $10,000, from $10,000 to $100,000 and from $100,000 to $1 million.

Walter Bruckner reports he earns more than $100,000 as president and treasurer of WSB Marketing and Sales, a manufacturing sales agency he gives a market value of $100,000 to $1 million. He also owns stock he values at $100,000 to $1 million in Bell South Corp.

Steven Brunette reports income from $10,000 to $100,000 from his Prospect Avenue law firm, which he gives a market value of $2,000 to $10,000. He lists a $10,000 to $100,000 salary as general counsel and vice president of Window Rock Enterprises in Brea.

Brunette also reports he’s a managing member of New Way Foods, which he lists as worth $2,000 to $10,000. (Although Brunette is not actively campaigning, his name will appear on the ballot, and his candidate statement will be mailed with the sample ballots.)

Doug Dickerson, who recently retired as a Brea police captain, only lists the $1,000 to $10,000 salary he earns as a governing board member of Placentia-Linda Hospital.

Jan Horton’s report only lists the $10,000 to $100,000 salary she earns as a supervisor of therapy services and an occupational therapist at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton.

Alex Mikkelsen, who lost his Old Town business to eminent domain proceedings, now owns American Roadster, a welding and fabrication firm in Placentia. He lists his salary as $10,000 to $100,000 from the venture he reports as worth $100,000 to $1 million.

Keri Wilson, the lone incumbent seeking re-election to a second term, is owner-operator of a real estate appraisal service, which she values at $10,000 to $100,000. She lists her income as $10,000 to $100,000 from the business.

Candidates listing no reportable interests are John Anderson, a county prosecutor who oversees a gang suppression unit; Mike Burns, a senior software engineer; Diana Hudson, a businesswoman and racecar driver; and Mel Woodward, a retired police lieutenant.

Only the two winners will continue filing the financial reports, on an annual basis each April, along with the rest of their council colleagues and specified city employees. Of course, losers might file again, if they seek council seats in future elections.

A FINAL NOTE

Don’t despair if you feel left out of all the election-year hoopla. There’s still time to file a write-in candidacy statement and pick up nomination papers at City Hall. If you file by Oct. 24, all of the votes cast for you will be tallied and certified with the other contenders.

Other key dates for voters include Oct. 9, last day to register to vote and receive a sample ballot pamphlet; Oct 23, last day to register to vote; and Oct. 31, last day to apply for an absentee ballot. Results should be certified by Dec. 5, when the winners can be sworn in.

10 candidates speak their piece

All 10 candidates seeking the two City Council seats on the Nov. 7 ballot have provided campaign statements that will be mailed to Yorba Linda’s 40,403 registered voters along with polling place information and sample ballots.

Since a single color brochure sent to residents on “likely voter” lists can cost $5,000, the $1,100 fee for a 200-word statement mailed to all voters is an election-year bargain.

A review of the statements on file at City Hall and to be mailed by the county Registrar of Voters between Sept. 28-Oct. 17 gives a glimpse into the contenders’ campaign styles.

Lone incumbent Keri Wilson, for example, lists her experience, accomplishments and activities and thanks voters for their “support and confidence.” And retired Fullerton police lieutenant Mel Woodward points to his background and current volunteer work.

Also stressing experience is retired Brea police captain Doug Dickerson, who says he’ll use his “breadth of leadership” to “build consensus from divergence.” Dickerson was Brea’s police liaison with Yorba Linda, a role once filled by Councilman Jim Winder.

Former Parks Commissioner Steven Brunette notes his civic and youth sports activities, and says, “My campaign has been honest--with no hidden tricks and no special interests.”

Third-time candidate Mike Burns also says he’s “not bound by any group.” He states his policies will “protect rights,” “respect liberties” and allow citizens to “pursue happiness.”

Traffic Commissioner and county prosecutor John Anderson says, “Development, traffic congestion and crime are out of control,” and notes, “It’s time for a leadership change.”

His running mate Jan Horton says she’ll “restore trust and integrity,” allow “sensible, controlled growth” and change council’s “unresponsive” attitude to over-development.

Water Bruckner uses the words “nightmare,” “lunacy” and “hideous” to describe policies by a council that is “controlled by those receiving multiple taxpayer-funded pay checks.”

Diana Hudson attacks the city’s “mismanaged, reckless growth,” cites the “ridiculous Town Center project” and declares, “Government needs to exit the real estate business.”

Also employing some harsh words is Alex Mikkelsen, whose Old Town business was lost to eminent domain proceedings. He claims to be “a real citizen candidate,” who is “fed-up with nimby wimps and career bureaucrat candidates with hidden egotistical agendas.”

Of course, 200 words aren’t enough to provide voters with a well-defined platform. But they do offer insights into the candidates’ mind-sets and attitudes toward governing.

A FINAL NOTE

Of the 10 statements, only the one by longtime resident Alex Mikkelsen contains a major error. His comment, “Unbelievably, they sued our school district,” is factually incorrect.

Actually, the Placentia-Yorba Linda school district sued the city Redevelopment Agency for tax revenues the district claimed were due under terms of a 1983 agreement. A judge ruled in the school district’s favor, and the two parties eventually settled the controversy.

I’ve often mentioned the city’s legal tangles in past columns. But I can’t believe elected officials still spin the city-school settlement as a “win-win” for both sides. What’s “win-win” about millions of dollars and uncounted hours of staff time down the legal rat hole?

The issue of public agencies spending tax dollars to wrangle over which agency should get those dollars demonstrates why voters need to pay closer attention to local elections.

City council the center of election campaign

The one incumbent and nine other contenders who’ve entered the fray for two City Council seats on the Nov. 7 ballot represent the third largest candidate field in Yorba Linda history.

Just three of 20 council elections drew more candidates than the current contest: 27 fought for five seats in 1967, 18 for five seats in 1970 and 11 for three seats in 1976

But strangely, challengers this year showed little interest in local school trustee positions and absolutely no attention to the director posts on the area’s water boards.

In the Placentia-Yorba Linda school district, only 17-year teaching veteran Eric Padget, a member of the Measure Y bond oversight committee, is challenging four-term incumbent Karin Freeman and two-term incumbent Jan Wagner.

All three are Yorba Linda residents and all three paid the $1,374 fee for a 200-word statement to be mailed with sample ballots to the district’s 86,177 registered voters.

In the North Orange County Community College District, incumbent board members Jeff Brown of Yorba Linda, Barbara Dunsheath of Cypress and Donna Miller of Buena Park will be appointed to new four-year terms because nobody filed to run against them.

Mike Matsuda of Yorba Linda, appointed to the board in 2005, faces educator Tim Shaw, but only Matsuda paid the $3,722 fee for a statement to the district’s 399,603 voters.

In the Yorba Linda Water District, incumbents Paul Armstrong, Bill Mills and John Summerfield also will be named to new four-year terms, since they drew no challengers.

Armstrong is Yorba Linda’s longest-tenured elected leader, with 13 years on the old Yorba Linda elementary school board and 24 years with the water district. Mills has served nearly seven years on the water board and Summerfield close to six years.

Also to be appointed to a new four-year term is Brett Barbre, who has represented Yorba Linda and four other cities for six years on the county’s seven-member Municipal Water District board, which oversees imported water supplies.

Barbre is a 1981 Esperanza High School graduate and Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International. He still hasn’t paid a 2002 small claims court judgment for $1,160.90 obtained by the Sunrise Rotary Club for 10 Lobsterfest tickets.

Some water board and school trustee incumbents say they attract so little electoral interest because their public-funded agencies are well run and non-controversial.

Other reasons might be that few voters are aware the positions are elective and meetings aren’t televised on local cable systems. And ousting firmly entrenched incumbents from the little noticed, down-ballot positions can be prohibitively expensive for challengers.

A FINAL NOTE

Judging by some anonymous communications I’ve received recently, a dose of party politics might be injected into the normally non-partisan City Council race this year.

With 24,269 Republicans and 8,880 Democrats registered to vote in Yorba Linda, some contenders will tout their GOP credentials, hoping to gain an edge with party loyalists.

But an all-Republican council approved eminent domain authority and used tax money to buy Old Town properties with an eye toward consolidating the parcels and reselling them to a pre-selected developer, activities hardly consistent with long-time Republican values.

Rather than trust unreliable party labels, Yorba Lindans should consider the goals of each candidate and question closely the tactics they’ll employ to reach those objectives.