North Tustin Files Request for Cityhood

North Tustin on Friday joined the list of unincorporated areas seeking city status, just hours before the price of cityhood went up.

Acting on behalf of the East Orange County Water District, water board President Dick Barrett submitted an application for North Tustin cityhood just before the deadline for seeking free city start-up services from the county, including police and fire protection.

Even with the county’s help, North Tustin still could have a budget deficit of about $230,000 if cityhood were granted, according to a preliminary study released Friday by county officials.

“There has been so much interest in the data that we are issuing up-to-the-minute changes,” said George Spiliotis, a senior county research analyst.

Revenues to Be Estimated

The final financial report will be released in a few weeks, said Scott Morgan, aide to Board of Supervisors Chairman Roger R. Stanton. The purpose of the study is to estimate the proposed city’s revenues from various taxes and fees, and the cost of delivering municipal services to residents.

Pat Seman, chairman of North Tustin’s Municipal Advisory Council, said her panel has not taken a position on the water district’s cityhood application. Water district board members previously voted to submit the application.

Seman said that North Tustin Tomorrow, a six-member community group, should conduct its own cityhood feasibility study to see if the conclusions would match the county’s.

“That way, the people would know,” she said.

Bill Weber, a North Tustin Tomorrow spokesman, said the group is selecting a consultant to conduct its own study.

Would Wait

“Our group is saying, ‘let’s slow down and wait a minute,’ ” he said in an interview. “Let’s wait for the (North Tustin Tomorrow) study.”

In addition to North Tustin, four other unincorporated Orange County communities are seeking cityhood--Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Dana Point and Capistrano Beach. All have filed applications.

The rush of applications for cityhood this year was prompted by a new state law that allows county government to charge new cities for start-up costs. The law becomes effective Sunday in Orange County. The old law required the county to provide start-up services for new cities without charge.

North Tustin, a mostly residential area, can remain an unincorporated area, become a city, or all or parts of it can be annexed by Tustin.

The Local Agency Formation Commission, which screens requests for annexations and bids for cityhood, has not scheduled a hearing on the application.

LAFCO’s decision will be reviewed by county supervisors. Eventually, North Tustin residents would have to approve cityhood in an election.