Proposed fireworks tax ignites a debate

Costa Mesa council members on Tuesday night opposed Mayor Pro Tem Wendy Leece’s proposal to use revenue from local nonprofits’ fireworks sales to help restrict the use of illegal fireworks on the July Fourth weekend.

Given Costa Mesa’s fiscal problems, Leece said, the roughly $29,000 needed for enforcement and education related to the Fourth of July should be covered by youth sports organizations’ fireworks fundraisers — not by the city.

Under this proposal, nonprofit groups would have to give about 20% of this season’s sales to the city.

“I just think this is a fair way to do this,” Leece said.

Pop Warner Football President Steve Mensinger said the proposal would cripple sports organizations. Pop Warner, he said, gets 25% of its revenue from fireworks sales and that Estancia High School’s football program gets about 50% of its money from the stands.

“I think we’re overreacting to a problem that doesn’t exist,” Mensinger said, adding that he hasn’t seen many illegal fireworks in his years living in the city.

Leece’s proposal also included a provision to crack down on violators of laws prohibiting illegal fireworks and altered legal fireworks by issuing administrative citations instead of criminal citations.

This would essentially allow the city to circumvent the court system, which often dismisses fireworks violations as unimportant, said City Manager Allan Roeder.

Leece said that fines up to $1,000 should be issued and effectively collected to show violators that Costa Mesa takes its fireworks laws seriously.

Although no vote could be taken outside of a formal council meeting, Councilman Gary Monahan and Councilwoman Katrina Foley voiced their opposition to some of Leece’s ideas.

Monahan called the proposal “heavy handed” and said that fireworks were a tradition that should not be squelched by extra taxes for purveyors and hefty fines for minor violators.

Leece has long been an advocate for phasing out fireworks in the city and replacing the funding through alternative fundraisers.

“As you can probably tell, I’m not particularly thrilled with all of this,” Monahan said.

Foley said she didn’t think the extra money the city spent on the Fourth of July made a difference and that financing enforcement and education efforts with money from youth sports organizations was unacceptable.

“I absolutely can’t charge the groups. Kids these days need to do so much fundraising,” Foley said. “I don’t think we should be charging the charities for this enforcement.”

However, every cost-saving measure must be on the table because of the city’s projected $11-million deficit, said Mayor Allan Mansoor, even if it’s “not going to sit well with some of the sports organizations.”

Councilman Eric Bever was not present.

Over last year’s Fourth of July holiday several teams of police officers paired with arson investigators were deployed from July 1 to 6 in addition to normal staffing, and an extra fire engine and battalion chief were put on call on the holiday itself, according to Fire Chief Mike Morgan.

Other efforts by the police and public services departments were also implemented.

No changes to last year’s staffing levels are proposed, although the police department has said it will still cost more money this year because of overtime hours needed with the holiday’s falling on a Saturday instead of a Friday.

The proposal will formally be considered by the council at an upcoming meeting, but scheduling a date may be tricky given council members’ schedules, Roeder said.

He emphasized the need to make a decision as soon as possible.

“The worst of all scenarios is when we start changing the rules right before the Fourth of July,” Roeder said.

Reporter ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at alan.blank@latimes.com.