Gullixson remains active in city issues

Few, if any, of the 32 individuals elected to the Yorba Linda City Council since incorporation had as controversial a tenure as attorney John Gullixson, who continues to be extolled and excoriated from the dais and public comment podium 10 years after he left office.

The outspoken governing body member counted many victories during his three terms, 1990-2002, including major improvements to Imperial Highway, completed after he led opposition to a ballot measure aimed at halting the project.

Gullixson also lost on key issues, such as his fight against a Placentia-Yorba Linda school district lawsuit that recovered millions of dollars from the city's then-active Redevelopment Agency. And his feud with 30-year councilman Hank Wedaa became city legend.

Now, after several years as executive director of a government agency in tiny Plumas County, Gullixson is representing the Rancho Dominguez Community Association in legal actions regarding assessments to fund the city's Landscape Maintenance Assessment District.

Gullixson claims one victory in the struggle, involving “settlement negotiations and mediation,” with the city agreeing “to refund overcharged...assessments of nearly $600,000” to 218 parcel owners in the HOA.

However, Gullixson says city staff and council “fail to acknowledge that they continue to violate the constitutional rights of parcel-owning citizens,” adding that “municipal and state government...has been focused on tax and assessment schemes...largely undetected by the public....”

Gullixson maintains, “When a person is elected to a city council, the first thing a staff does is compliment, praise, slap backs and otherwise try to get that new member to 'join' the city team. The goal is to make that new member a defender and promoter of the team.”

“Unfortunately, most new council members are usurped by these tactics and...rubber stamp staff recommendation instead of scrutinizing...reports,” Gullixson notes, with members becoming “protectors of the staff,” rather than representing the people. “Having sat on... council for 12 years, I saw this first-hand.”

“The biggest problem,” Gullixson says, is the public “doesn't understand” local government “can be the bad guy, the flim-flam man that is virtually stealing from all of its parcel-owning citizens on a day-to-day basis without legal right.”

Fortunately, recent Yorba Linda councils often question staff reports and tweak or turn back staff recommendations. For example, the police contract issue began with council ignoring staff advice to continue negotiating with Brea rather than invoking a termination clause in November 2011.

But Gullixson, a conservative activist dating back to the campaigns of Richard Nixon, isn't satisfied with current government oversight. He says, “When the target doesn't feel the pick-pocket take his wallet, he doesn't react....California and local government have been picking our pocket for years and years a little at a time and most just don't feel it, yet.”