Greenlight questions motives of new group

June Casagrande

A newly formed taxpayers association has come under quick fire by

Greenlight Committee members worried that the new group is a veiled

attempt to promote development and support developer-friendly City

Council candidates.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the Greenlight Committee laid out a

series of concerns about the Newport Beach Taxpayers Assn.,

particularly because of the new group’s relationship with Airport

Working Group member and political consultant Dave Ellis.

“If you liked the ‘Greenlight Implementation Committee,’ you’ll

love the Newport Beach Taxpayers Association,” Greenlight Committee

member George Jeffries said in a statement. The Greenlight

Implementation Committee was formed to support expansion of the Koll

office building and was criticized by those who thought its name was

deceptive.

Don Regan, president of the Newport Beach Taxpayers Assn.,

insisted that the group will take positions based on balanced

analyses of issues and that its positions will strive to be

representative of all Newport Beach taxpayers.

“I would not say that it’s pro-development,” Regan said of the

association. “It’s pro-intelligent use of taxes and our wonderful

community’s resources.”

Members of Greenlight, who were behind the passage of the city’s

slow-growth law that limits the development of projects substantially

larger than allowed under the city’s general plan, also point to

Ellis’ involvement as cause for skepticism.

Ellis is not a member nor an employee of the Newport Beach

Taxpayers Assn., and Regan said Ellis’ relationship to the

organization is best described as that of an unpaid consultant. Ellis

allowed the taxpayers’ group to use his bulk-rate postal code for its

introductory mailer.

Ellis, an active supporter of taxpayer rights, said on Monday that

he supports the group’s ideals and that he might consider making a

contribution in the future.

Ellis also has aided the City Council campaigns of Mayor Tod

Ridgeway and Councilman Gary Adams, both of whom Greenlight labels as

“pro-development.”

Regan said the taxpayers association will be more concerned with

issues than with candidates. Though its role could evolve, at this

point the group has no plans to endorse any council candidates.

To that, Greenlight spokesman Phil Arst said, “Groups that don’t

make clear their position on issues make it harder to know who you’re

dealing with.”

Another area of concern, Greenlight members said, is an inquiry

underway into Airport Working Group’s finances. On July 9, City

Councilman John Heffernan put in motion an audit of the Airport

Working Group and Citizens for Jobs and the Economy to see how the

groups spent a $3.67-million grant earmarked to educate residents

about an El Toro airport.

Greenlight members also emphasize that their group has advocated

for taxpayer rights in several ways. The group has asked the City

Council to streamline the costs of providing city services, noting

that the city’s current staff of about 740 full-time employees is

about double that of the average Orange County city. Greenlight has

also participated in the city’s budget process.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.