Here's how seven North Orange County cities voted in the March 3, 2020, primary election

Here's how North Orange County voted in the March primary election. All percentages are based on the number of votes cast for each position, since not all voters marked choices in every contest, and each is rounded to the nearest percent.

North county voters in the Republican presidential primary overwhelmingly chose Donald Trump over six rivals listed on the ballot. He won 89% in Yorba Linda; 87% in Placentia; 86% in Brea, Buena Park and La Habra; and 85% in Fullerton and La Palma.

In the Democratic presidential primary, Bernie Sanders beat Joe Biden in Brea (32%-30%), Buena Park (42%-26%), Fullerton (41%-24%), La Habra (40%-29%) and Placentia (34%-30%), and Biden won in La Palma (33%-31%) and Yorba Linda (34%-25%), with 18 others sharing the remainder.

Voters registered “declined to state” could request a Democratic ballot. In north county cities, they were 15% of Democratic presidential voters.

The top two finishers in the 39^th Congressional District, the 29^th state Senate District and the 55^th and 65^th state Assembly districts will face each other again in the Nov. 3 general election.

Incumbent Democratic Congressman Gil Cisneros beat Republican Young Kim in Buena Park (51%-42%), Fullerton (50%-45%) and La Habra (51%-43%), while Kim won in Brea (53%-43%), Placentia (51%-45%) and Yorba Linda (64%-33%). Independent Steve Cox picked up the remainder.

Incumbent Republican state Senator Ling Ling Chang beat Democrat Josh Newman in all seven cities: Brea (54%-32%), portion of Buena Park (45%-34%), La Palma (46%-33%), Fullerton (44%-33%), La Habra (44%-38%), Placentia (52%-34%) and Yorba Linda (66%-24%). Democrat Joseph Cho picked up the remainder.

In a two-person race, incumbent Republican Assemblyman Phillip Chen won Brea (59%), Placentia (57%) and Yorba Linda (70%). Democrat Andrew Rodriguez won La Habra (51%).

Also in a two-person race, incumbent Democratic Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva won Buena Park (59%), La Palma (54%) and Fullerton (57%) over Republican Cynthia Thacker.

Proposition 13, the $15 billion school bond measure, lost handily, with the “no” vote reaching 77% in Yorba Linda, 69% in Brea, 68% in Placentia, 65% in La Habra, 64% in La Palma, 62% in Fullerton and 60% in Buena Park.

Elected to represent Brea, La Habra, Placentia and Yorba Linda on the Democratic Central Committee were Natalie Estrada, Cynthia Aguirre, Lourdes Cruz, Molly Muro, Isabella Rubio and Gail Cain. Elected to the GOP committee were Tim Shaw, Craig Young, Gene Hernandez, Rhonda Shader, Brett Barbre and Anthony Johnson (listed in order of votes received).

Representing Buena Park, Fullerton, La Palma, Cypress, Stanton and parts of Anaheim and Garden Grove on the Democratic committee will be Mike Rodriguez, Ed Lopez, Marisol Ramirez, Jose Castaneda, Jose Magcalas and Ada Briceno. Elected to the GOP committee were Cynthia Thacker, Leroy Mills, Amy Frenen, Baron Night, James Waters and Nick Dunlap.

New expenditures added to Yorba Linda budget

Nearly $1 million in new expenditures have been added to Yorba Linda's current fiscal year budget, including funds to update the 20-year-old master plan for storm drain infrastructure and continue with cosmetic and technology renovations to the council chambers at City Hall.

Storm drain planning will cost $400,000, and council chambers renovations $308,000, with the latter building on $200,000 already spent to replace camera and hardware used for live cable television and internet streaming of the twice-monthly council meetings.

Other projects include $100,000 for the first phase of a plan to identify city facilities that require modifications to fully comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act; $50,000 to enhance cybersecurity infrastructure; and $76,000 for staffing, vehicle replacement and more security at the Town Center parking structure.

A second phase of the plan to meet ADA requirements will be funded next year, with the specific improvements needed incorporated into the city's capital improvement program.

The cybersecurity expenditure “will enhance the city's already robust defenses, while taking a balanced approach between the cost of additional safeguards and the additional security pro-vided,” according to a report from Finance Director Scott Catlett.

“Many cities have recently experienced increased attempts by malicious individuals to access city networks and divert city resources,” Catlett noted, so staff has “reviewed the city's current infrastructure for any enhancements that can be implemented to improve cybersecurity.”

A $15,000 contract with a security firm will supplement added patrols for Town Center since the addition of a deputy earlier this fiscal year. Contracted security guards “can partner with the Sheriff's Department to increase the coverage of patrols in the structure,” Catlett stated.

Current and previously added expenditures for the budget year ending June 30 will reduce an expected budget surplus from $543,000 to $48,000, with total operating reserves at 54% of general fund expenditures, still above the council's policy of maintaining a reserve of 50%.

Previously approved expenditures for the current fiscal year included $270,000 for a second modular trailer to expand office space at city hall and $79,000 for higher tree trimming costs.

Also, council previously approved spending from reserves: $2 million to reduce the balance of a loan to pay some costs associated with the Town Center project and $1.1 million for remed-iation of Bastanchury Road property recently sold for a housing project.

Other expenditures from reserves included $229,000 to reduce an unfunded pension liability and $200,000 to reduce an unfunded retiree medical liability.

Not included in current budget numbers is an increase in user fee income beginning Jan. 1, with Catlett anticipating “a measurable impact on revenue realized in the second half of the fiscal year.”

Yorba Linda City Council takes actions to put Black Gold Golf Course on surer financial footing

Yorba Linda City Council members on a unanimous vote have taken actions intended to put the city-owned, 20-year-old Black Gold Golf Club on a surer financial footing in future years.

The council's key decision is to cancel all interfund loans due the city's General Fund and Special Reserve Fund from the Black Gold Golf Course Fund, totaling about $18.8 million.

Included in the loan forgiveness is a waiver of all accrued interest payable on the loans – about $1.4 million – making the entire amount scrubbed a bit more than $20.2 million.

Also, a new $2.3 million loan from the city's Master Plan of Drainage Fund to the Black Gold fund will eliminate the golf course fund's negative cash balance and provide about $200,000 of working capital for the 219-acre facility.

The drainage fund loan is to be repaid over a 10-year period, with variable interest due each year, computed at the rate of return the city earns on its investment portfolio. The drainage fund holds the impact fees the city collects from new development to pay storm drain costs.

Another aspect of the council's action is to establish a budget reserve for the golf fund that would include an operating reserve equal to 20% of the prior year's revenues and a capital reserve sufficient to address needed course improvements for a 30-year period.

The operating and capital reserves are projected to be fully funded by 2038, after which an annual dividend payment to the General Fund would be possible. At the end of the 30-year forecast period, total dividend payments would be about $2.1 million, according to estimates.

In addition, without forgiveness, the city's auditing firm would list the Black Gold loans as “bad debts” on the city's financial statements, as of June 30, since the loan balance in 30 years is projected to be $3.6 million more than the current balance, with little likelihood of repayment.

Of course, the current council is forgiving loans made from one city fund to another, but the 1990s-2000s-era councils that borrowed money for Black Gold construction said the bonds would be paid from golf revenue, not income from the property and sales taxes that make up most of the General Fund.

The General Fund loan to pay off the Black Gold bonds was approved by the council in 2013 to save years of interest payments. City officials state they believe council's latest actions will have “a positive impact on the sustainability of the long-term financial health” of Black Gold.

And council's actions “would likely eliminate any need for the General Fund to make contrib-utions to the Golf Course Fund in the future for operating shortfalls or major capital projects.”

Next on Black Gold's financial agenda is completion of a detailed long-term capital improve-ment program for the golf course and clubhouse facilities, which will be followed, within one year, with an updated long-term financial plan for the golf course fund.