Placentia is at a Critical Crossroads

By Joseph V. "Joe" Aguirre

The Challenges In Placentia Today and How We Can Make Our Community A Better Place for All

My volunteerism and service throughout Placentia cover more than 30 years, and it is in this spirit that I am running for office. I believe I can make a positive difference in helping to make our city a pleasant place in which to live, work, shop or play.

As councilman, I will work to reduce our huge debt and restore needed programs; listen to people's concerns; make public safety a priority and target gangs, graffiti and drugs; complete the Melrose Underpass and Quiet Zone, which are independent of the train trench; encourage careful spending and an open government; and keep Placentia's interests first. I care about Placentia and its people, and have always believed in getting involved to make a positive impact.

Some major issues will certainly be factors as we decide who will be elected to the three council seats on November 2. An ongoing topic has been the OnTrac railroad-lowering project, estimated at $460 million. The project is currently stalled due to a lack of state and federal grants, and the council recently voted to borrow millions more to fund expenses through February in hopes the grants will come through. OnTrac's operating costs alone have drained city funds at more than $100,000 per month.

A May 2004 audit by the city administrator noted that if Placentia continues to fund OnTrac, we could run out of money by December. As councilman, I will encourage immediate changes so we can get our spending under control and provide the services that our city requires and our citizens deserve. I will also propose that our new public works director administers the grade-separation projects, and Placentia can continue to seek grants without the OnTrac consultants.

I support silencing the train whistles and completing the Melrose Underpass, but in a cost-effective manner. Like many, I am also affected by the traffic delays and hear the horns since I live near the tracks. We must, however, make it a policy to responsibly manage our finances and only spend public funds on projects when the money is in the bank. Project spending must not take money from important services and programs relied on by our citizens.

A related issue is the city's alarming financial condition, which affects everyone in Placentia. Besides reductions in state funding, OnTrac has played a major role in Placentia's deficit. Over $25 million in city funds have been diverted to the project, reducing public services and shrinking our financial reserves. A council majority recently raised our debt to an unprecedented level of $31 million, much of it for consultants and other costs for OnTrac. If elected, I will make it a priority to bring our massive debt under control, but it will take time to solve.

Vital city programs and facilities have suffered because of well-meaning but misplaced priorities. For example, $3.7 million from the McFadden Park sale earmarked for a new senior center were diverted to OnTrac. City hall hours, community programs, staff, public works maintenance and more have been cut. Office Depot was condemned last year when there was no money to pay the $5.7 million price, and city parks have now been mortgaged as loan collateral. Even our police department was considered for elimination until a public outcry stopped it.

Also of interest is the Transit Oriented Development (TOD), the proposed redevelopment project in Old Town. Improvements without bulldozers were often promised in recent years, but those promises vanished in April 2003 when an aggressive TOD redevelopment plan called for over 100 acres of existing uses to be demolished. Although it appears the plan may now be undergoing some adjustments in response to the concerns of residents and business owners, the ultimate direction depends on the three councilmembers to be elected.

Recently tied to the TOD project was an attempt to enact eminent domain authority over business properties throughout the 282-acre redevelopment project area. Facing strong public opposition, in May the council reversed itself and halted eminent domain proceedings for now. City officials have publicly stated that eminent domain will return, however, meaning that hundreds of businesses could potentially be subject to this power in the near future.

I support market-driven economic activity and revitalization, but oppose eminent domain to force people to sell their land to benefit developers. Our nation's free-market system is sound, and developers should negotiate purchase prices with property owners, not rely on government to seize the land. Beautification and improvements are reasonable goals, and I will encourage a cooperative revitalization that partners the city with businesses and residents, and respects owners' property rights. Preservation and reuse of old downtowns have happened in Fullerton and Encinitas, and it can work in Placentia too. I support citizens' rights, and that's why I led the recent effort to stop the city's attempt to force eminent domain on business properties.