Committee considers amendment to city charter

Eron Ben-Yehuda

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- The city’s Infrastructure Advisory Committee is

working to keep the city honest. The group is considering whether to ask

for an amendment to the city charter to keep the City Council from

spending proposed infrastructure money on other projects.

“The public just doesn’t trust the powers that be,” chairman Richard

Harlow said at a meeting last Thursday.

Considering that $1.3 billion could be needed over the next 20 years to

repair or replace everything from streets and sewers to sidewalks and

storm drains, the group maintains that such precautions might be

necessary. The committee, after more than two years of research, will

almost certainly recommend the hefty price tag be paid, at least in part,

through taxes from issuing a bond.

At its meeting, the committee considered setting up a separate

infrastructure fund through an amendment of the charter -- the

constitution for municipalities.

“We’re trying to be as politically acceptable as we can,” Harlow said.

Vice chairman Gerald Chapman said he wanted a guarantee that a charter

amendment will prevent the council from playing games like transferring

money out of the fund as a “loan” to other accounts or using the interest

earned from the fund’s money to finance other projects.

The proposed constitutional change would be a “more forceful tool” than

an ordinance, which can be easily revised, Deputy City Atty. Jennifer

McGrath said.

Some committee members said the group should have more confidence in the

council, which is popularly elected.

“You’re putting a pair of handcuffs on people and strangling the budget

process,” member Ted Lewis said.

As added insurance, the amendment could include a provision authorizing

the formation of an oversight committee made up of volunteers, Harlow

said.

Voters must approve an amendment, which can be placed on the ballot

either by the council or a resident-sponsored initiative. The amendment

may be bundled together with a bond measure so residents can vote on both

at the same time, McGrath said.

The committee is expected to make its final recommendations to the

council in April.