Greenlight stays on November ballot

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- Greenlight’s last-minute request to put their

slow-growth measure on a special June ballot with the school bond issue

was flatly denied by the City Council early Friday morning.

With Councilwoman Norma Glover absent, the vote was 5-1. Councilman Tom

Thomson was the lone dissenter.

“The cost savings is not there,” said Councilman Dennis O’Neil, referring

to Greenlight’s March 4 letter saying the city would save money if their

initiative appeared on the school board’s special ballot.

Greenlight didn’t put up much of a fight this round, although its members

waged a heady battle two months ago in an attempt to put the measure on a

special April ballot. Greenlight member Tom Hyans simply said he’d leave

the cost concerns up to the council.

The debated cost would have been anywhere from $69,000 to $93,000 to

include on the ballot the slow-growth measure, which proposes to allow

residents the final say on certain developments.

There were also legal problems with adding the initiative to the earlier

election. Because the measure requires a charter amendment, it must be

put to a vote in the fall general election, said City Atty. Bob Burnham.

Another concern of council members was how Greenlight might distract

voters from the district’s request for a $110-million bond to repair

deteriorating schools.

Councilman Tod Ridgeway added that a special election would attract fewer

voters compared to a general election.

Finally, he and other council members said they’d prefer to wait until

the study they commissioned on the measure is completed so that voters

can be as informed as possible.