Issues emerge in water district, council contests

While the signup period to run for positions representing Yorba Linda in city government and on water and school district boards is 11 months away, key issues are emerging in two of the contests that are certain to draw credible challengers to the 2016 electoral arena.

For the past couple weeks, social media has been filled with widespread opposition to a substantial water and sewer rate increase scheduled to be imposed by the five directors of the Yorba Linda Water District at a Sept. 17 meeting.

A new group, the Yorba Linda Taxpayers Association, describing itself as a “grassroots citizens forum,” launched a Facebook page last month with posts opposing the increase and requesting residents to send the district written protests to derail the new charges.

Among the group's leaders are past City Council candidates and participants in the Yorba Linda Residents for Responsible Representation political action committee and the North Orange County Conservative Coalition, some who supported last year's failed council recall.

If a majority of the district's property owners in Yorba Linda and parts of Anaheim, Brea, Placentia and county territory submit protests in writing, the proposed new rates can't be adopted.

One criticism leveled against the district is that raises were granted employees this year and the next two years without other significant budget cuts, while the district told ratepayers in a recent mailing, “There is simply nowhere to cut.”

Whatever the outcome, next year's ballot for two director positions is expected to be more spirited than the past two elections, when nobody filed to run against the incumbents, the seventh and eighth time that's occurred in the district's 56-year history as a public agency.

In 2012, Mike Beverage, a director since 1992, and Ric Collett, a director since 2004, were not opposed, and in 2014, Phil Hawkins, Bob Kiley and Gary Melton, elected in 2010, drew no opponents.

Just four incumbents have been defeated since the 1959 conversion to a public body: two in 2010 after 2008 Freeway Complex fire issues and one each in 1998 and 2002.

The newly formed taxpayers group also criticizes actions of four of the five council members, mostly due to density and development decisions made by Gene Hernandez, Peggy Huang, Tom Lindsey and Craig Young that are often opposed by 20-year Councilman Mark Schwing.

Seats now held by Hernandez, Schwing and Young will be on the next ballot, with Schwing not expected to run again. Voters have dumped 12 incumbents in the city's 48-year history.

Common Core might be an issue in school trustee races, but only a few residents have opposed the standards at board meetings. Seats held by Judi Carmona, Carol Downey and Eric Padget, all unopposed in 2012, will be on the 2016 ballot.

Incumbents are rarely defeated due to the cost of campaigning and the support most receive from the teachers union.