Editorial: Time for Costa Mesa to show its hand

We’d like to endorse a bold offer by the city of Costa Mesa to buy the Orange County Fairgrounds. But we can’t. Not just not yet.

Before we can back the plan we need to know more details about Costa Mesa’s $96-million bid to buy the treasured landmark from the state. We know that vendors, the public sector and other so-called “stakeholders” in the fairgrounds would likely play a role in paying for the deal, but we’re still unclear about the possible terms. Councilman Eric Bever, in an open letter Friday, also raised valid points about the challenges the city faces in finding a private partner to help it close the deal in the short time frame given to the city by the state. We agree that this shouldn’t be a rush job.

But we also don’t want the city to give up; we just want it to open up a bit more about what’s going on.

Now that negotiations between the city and state are “exclusive,” and the county pulled out of the talks, there’s no reason for taxpayers not to see the offer’s specifics. In a sense the folks here represent both parties — as Californians and Costa Mesa residents.

Withholding details from real estate negotiations is a common and legal practice exercised by public entities. Call us a bunch of nosy reporters, but we’d like the ins-and-outs of the financing deal sooner rather than later. Sometimes these processes feel rushed, and if Costa Mesa is to lead one of the largest acquisitions in modern city history, its constituents need a chance to review the deal ASAP.

That said, let’s take a second to recognize City Manager Allan Roeder and council members Katrina Koley and Gary Monahan for flying to Sacramento to meet with the governor’s staff to present the offer. Their effort showed commitment, something we all want to see when it comes to our officials. And furthermore, Roeder has a long reputation as a careful and prudent manager, so we trust he is acting in the public interest.

But now that the governor’s team has the paperwork, everyone else should, too.