Public safety on ballot

Measures B, C, D and E all tinker with how money from Proposition 172 -- which devotes a part of tax revenues to public safety agencies -- is allocated.When Newport-Mesa voters visit the ballot box Tuesday, they’ll be faced with the alphabet soup of five local initiatives.

Measure F, the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s bond issue, is the only one that’s not about public safety funding. The other four issues, measures B, C, D and E, revolve around how to allocate money the county gets from Proposition 172, a measure state voters approved in 1993 to devote half a cent of existing sales tax to county public safety agencies.

Now, Proposition 172 funds go to city public safety agencies, to the county sheriff’s and coroner’s departments, and to the district attorney. None of the measures would lessen the funding to city agencies, but all would change how part of the county’s share of the money is divided.

Measure D is the crux of all four ballot measures, because it was the impetus for the other three. It was placed on the ballot by supporters of the Orange County Fire Authority, which now gets none of the Proposition 172 funds.

If Measure D passes, the fire authority would receive a portion of those sales tax funds -- about $7 million in the first year -- that would increase annually until it reaches 10% of the county’s total.

Proponents of Measure D say the Proposition 172 campaign promised voters some of the money would go to fire safety -- and that includes the county fire authority, which serves 43% of Orange County residents.

“The small print of the proposition gives the discretion entirely to the board of supervisors, so there’s no dispute about that,” said James Lacy, a Dana Point City Councilman who signed the pro-Measure D ballot argument. “But the large print, which is in the ballot statements, repeatedly states that funding for fire safety is guaranteed.”

He said the county fire authority is still using Vietnam-era helicopters and has had to delay building three fire stations in Irvine.

“Orange County of all the counties, as a wealthy county, should have a first class fire department,” Lacy said.

Opponents of Measure D argue it would divert needed funds away from law enforcement services. Orange County Supervisors Chairman Bill Campbell, who signed the ballot argument against Measure D, said since 1993 the state has taken more than $2.1 billion of county property tax funds, but the fire authority has suffered no such loss of its property tax funding.

Proposition 172 funds have been used to make up that property tax loss, he said.

Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor, who is an Orange County Sheriff’s deputy, said his department would lose money under Measure D.

“The board of supervisors are our elected representatives and they should be able to distribute funds in a way that represents the general public,” Mansoor said. “I don’t believe in ballot box budgeting.”

Once Measure D supporters decided to go to the ballot, the county supervisors voted to put three other measures before voters.

Measure B would cement the current allocation of Proposition 172 funds. Measure C would set aside $10 million of the sales tax money each year for projects that benefit the county’s public safety agencies. Measure E would shift 5% of the county’s share of Proposition 172 to the county probation department, which Campbell said was threatened a year ago with having to lay off 200 workers because of state funding cuts.

Supervisors decided to let voters dictate their priorities for the money, Campbell said.

“They’re the same choices the board of supervisors faces. We don’t face just whether to give it to the fire authority,” Campbell said.

Lacy called measures B, C and E “poison pill” measures intended to confuse voters.

“There’s no question their intention in doing so ... is to dilute, distract and take away from a clear up or down vote on Measure D,” he said.

Mansoor said his position is “no” on all the measures, because they take away the power voters already gave county supervisors to decide where the money should go.

“There’s lots of good things we can spend money on, and that’s why we elect our board of supervisors to make these decisions,” he said. “If you go with ballot box budgeting things are locked in.”

STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

* Proposition 73

Requires doctors to notify parents at least 48 hours before performing an abortion for a pregnant minor. Does not require parental consent for the abortion. Exception for medical emergencies.

* Proposition 76

Allows state spending to grow by only as much as revenue has grown, on average, each year for the previous three years. When revenues are high, some would be set aside in a reserve fund. It gives the governor more power to address revenue shortfall. Changes some guarantees in school funding formulas.

* Proposition 77

Takes the power to redraw state and federal voting districts from state legislators and gives it to a panel of three retired judges. New districts would be subject to voter approval but also would be effective in the next general election in 2006.

STATE LEGISLATION

* Proposition 74

Lengthens from two years to five years the probationary period during which school districts can choose not to rehire teachers. After the probationary period, teachers with two poor-performance evaluations in a row can be dismissed without a 90-day chance to improve and with less documentation than is now required.

* Proposition 75

Requires unions representing government workers to get workers’ written consent each year before charging or spending union dues for political purposes.

* Proposition 78

Sets up a new program offering drug discount cards to low- to moderate-income earners. Excludes some already covered by certain state or federal health programs.

* Proposition 79

Creates a prescription drug discount program for low- to moderate-income earners but with a higher income threshold than Proposition 78. Pays for discounts with state-negotiated rebates from drug makers. Makes it a crime to engage in “prescription drug profiteering.”

* Proposition 80

Subjects electric service providers to some regulation. Restricts customers’ ability to change from private companies to other providers.

ORANGE COUNTY BALLOT MEASURES

* Measure B

Would cement an existing formula that divides money from a statewide sales tax among the county sheriff, coroner, probation and lifeguard departments.

* Measure C

Would create a new homeland security infrastructure fund, which would be financed with money set aside from the existing statewide sales tax that now goes to public safety agencies. The fund would be spent on capital improvement projects to improve homeland security, and it could not be spent on salaries or benefits.

* Measure D

Would shift a varying percentage of the statewide public safety sales tax to the Orange County Fire Authority, which serves 43% of the county population and currently does not receive any of the sales tax funds.

* Measure E

Would devote 5% of the county’s proceeds from the statewide public safety sales tax to the county probation department.

* Measure F

A bond issue that would raise $282 million to renovate and expand facilities throughout the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.