Sheriff's costs, school matters, election details

Sheriff's costs, school matters and election details merit attention in Yorba Linda this week:

--The new cost for policing the city for a one-year period that began July 1 is $9.8 million, up 4.3 percent from last year's billings by the Orange County Sheriff's Department. However, a portion, 1.4 percent, is for salary hikes paid retroactively for the past year.

The new amount pays for 40 full-time and 12.4 part-time law enforcement personnel to serve the city, including the salary and benefit boosts after completing negotiations with four unions.

Significantly, Assistant City Manager David Christian reported a recent review shows the city has “adequate staff for now,” but “there will be a need to revisit this assessment again due to the upcoming development of Town Center, the increasing population and the steady increase in calls for service over the past three years.”

A year ago, in preparing a two-year budget for fiscal years 2015-16 and 2016-17, the city anticipated a 3 percent increase in costs, so $125,913 was added to this year's spending.

--Placentia-Yorba Linda schools ended a productive year with several honors for campuses, including Gold Ribbon School awards at 12 elementary sites (Brookhaven, Bryant Ranch, Glenknoll, Golden, Linda Vista, Mabel Paine, Morse, Rio Vista, Ruby Drive, Travis Ranch, Tynes and Van Buren).

Other honors went to Yorba Linda Middle as a model middle grades school, El Camino Real as a model continuation high school, Travis Ranch for an exemplary arts education program and Morse, Rio Vista, Ruby Drive and Tynes as Title 1 academic achieving schools.

-- A substitute teacher shortage partly due to surrounding districts offering up to $27 per day more in pay has led trustees to approve a $10 raise for substitutes at Placentia-Yorba Linda campuses.

The new daily rates will be $115 for regular classes, $120 for special education and $130 for long-term assignments.

A salary increase to $195,978 was granted Candy Plahy in her new position as Deputy Superintendent to the new Superintendent Greg Plutko. Plahy is the second-ever deputy named in the district, after the well-respected Sharon McHolland, who served 1994-2002.

--Residents planning to run for one of 11 open positions representing Yorba Linda on five local governing bodies should not wait until the end of the July 18-Aug. 12 filing period to complete the detailed paperwork to appear on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

Potential candidates should also note filing is extended to Aug. 17 if an incumbent eligible for re-election does not file by Aug. 12. Contenders also can provide 200-word statements to be mailed with sample ballots for a fee that varies based on the number of registered voters.

Candidates for City Council file at city hall, while contenders for school trustee and water director file at the county Registrar of Voters, 1300 S. Grand Ave., Building C, Santa Ana.