Yorba Linda City Council election sets two new spending records; newly elected water district directors eschew medical insurance benefits

Updates to past columns:

--Two new records have been set for a Yorba Linda City Council election – spending by a candidate-controlled campaign committee and combined spending by a candidate and an “independent expenditure” committee, based on newly filed, state-required reports for 2016.

Craig Young reported spending $77,290 in his losing race for a second term in the Nov. 4 election. He placed fourth out of seven candidates for three positions.

Gene Hernandez reported spending $42,382 from his committee and benefiting from $75,000 in spending by the Moving Orange County Forward political action committee to win a second term.

Young's record expenses earned him 11,662 votes, or $6.63 for each vote. His expenditure for his winning 2012 campaign was $32,085, or $2.17 per vote for a second-place finish out of seven candidates. A vendor forgave $5,235 in billings before Young closed his committee Feb. 14.

Spending for Hernandez won him 13,331 votes, or $8.81 for each vote in his second-place finish. He spent $48,995 in his 2012 win, or $3.53 per vote for a third-place finish.

Expenses reported by the other two winners were $33,188 for Tara Campbell, or $2.18 for each of her 15,253 votes; and $44,927 for Beth Haney, or $3.75 for each of her 11,981 votes.

Campbell reported 84 and Hernandez 111 local and out-of-town contributions, while Haney was largely self-financed with $36,170 in loans from her business, Luxe Aesthetic & Wellness Center. Haney reported 35 local and out-of-town contributions, and Campbell noted a $5,000 self-made loan.

Spending reported by the other candidates: $22,088 for Cristy Parker, or $2.23 for each of her 9,913 votes; $2,279 for Ryan Smith, or 26 cents for each of his 8,782 votes; and less than the $1,000 reporting threshold for Paul Dippolito, or under 15 cents for each of his 6,472 votes.

--Residents who pay for water and sewer service from the Yorba Linda Water District are no longer footing bills for medical insurance for the agency's five elected directors, saving some $45,000 this year alone.

None of the new directors are taking medical insurance payments, and just one, Andrew Hall, is taking dental and vision benefits, totaling $42.25 per month. All four – Hall, Brooke Jones, Wayne Miller and Al Nederhood – receive life and accident insurance, at $4.42 monthly for the group.

Holdover director Phil Hawkins had dropped his medical insurance benefit but continues to receive dental and vision insurance for himself and family. With life and accident insurance, his monthly benefit total is $102.34.

The updated figures were provided by Gina Knight, the district's Human Resources and Risk Manager. The life and accident insurance coverage is $10,000, which drops to 65 percent at age 60 and 50 percent at age 70, trimming payments for three directors.

Annual benefit cost for the four directors who left office in December totaled $47,470.