Orange County Supervisors Oppose Affordable Housing Bill, Citing Fee Increase

By Nick Gerda | May 8, 2015

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Orange County supervisors this week took a formal position to completely oppose an affordable housing bill introduced by state Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, while the board’s chairman noted that Atkins is an important decision-maker in the county’s efforts to get a greater share of property tax revenue.

In adopting a strict “oppose” position to AB 1335, four out of the five supervisors rejected an effort by Supervisor Shawn Nelson to indicate that they’d support the bill if it’s changed.

Supervisors generally described the bill, which would sharply increase fees for filing property documents with counties to fund housing efforts, as a tax increase that they found difficult to support.

“It’s going to create new government,” said Supervisor Michelle Steel, who has frequently opposed fee increases since taking office in January.

The proposal would generate new funds to pay for affordable housing and home ownership programs, by increasing the recording fee for a real estate document in Orange County from $18 to $75. That would boost the cost for a typical transaction from $54 to $229, according to county staff.

The bill has the support of the influential Orange County Business Council, Building Industry Association of Southern California and California Association of Realtors.

It’s also politically significant in that it’s proposed by the Assembly’s top legislator at a time when supervisors want Sacramento to boost Orange County’s share of property tax revenue.

That was highlighted by supervisors’ Chairman Todd Spitzer, who noted that the county is trying to work with Atkins on the tax equity issue. He wondered whether the county should send Atkins a letter making clear what their concerns are with her bill.

In response, county staff noted that the supervisors could take an “oppose unless amended” position that would give a pathway for the county to support the legislation.

“There could be other ways for the speaker to look for revenue,” said Peter DeMarco, the county’s legislative affairs director.

That prompted Nelson to argue for taking a position of supporting the bill if revenues stay in the counties where they’re generated and all of the funds are used for affordable housing.

“100 percent of it should just be diverted entirely into Orange County’s housing fund,” Nelson said of the fees generated within the county.

“We don’t have an appetite to go fund everyone else’s low-income housing projects. That doesn’t help the poor people here,” he added.

Nelson’s suspicion is that the speaker will probably get her bill passed, he added.

“Do we want to be productive and try and affect the outcome” or “let the outcome affect us?” Nelson asked.

His efforts failed to get any traction among his colleagues, none of whom seconded his motion to reconsider their oppose position in favor of “oppose unless amended.”

No members of the public addressed supervisors during Tuesday’s discussion.

You can contact Nick Gerda at ngerda@gmail.com, and follow him on Twitter: @nicholasgerda.

Rose72

Politically speaking, Orange County is the least compassionate county in California. I’ve had enough of hearing Nelson whine about the property tax distribution for OC as the BOS seem to be able to find money for giving raises to their “puppets” and to support their personal agendas and aspirations. NRA member Nelson and the other supes authorized $1.5 million dollars to expedite the processing of permits for concealed weapons. Not just to issue the permits, but to EXPEDITE the processing. Regardless of whether people should have guns is not the issue, but to spend “OUR” taxpayer money to EXPEDITE the process is a misuse of taxpayers money.
Cynthia Ward

I agree with Nelson on this one, I think many will support some form of funding mechanism for affordable housing/aid to the homeless IF we know the money remains local and is not being first funneled through wasteful State programs. When Brown pushes high speed rail while claiming we lack funding to build water infrastructure, I do not trust Sacramento with another nickel of our funding. I sure don’t want the idiots who brought us “Covered California” to be in charge of compassionate care for those unable to fend for themselves. Better yet, do something local to begin with, and skip the State entirely. (sadly it sounds like the State is going to impose this on us whether we like it or not.)

To be clear, I know most of the people in my own circle (both left and right leaning) would prefer to see private sector answer the call to aid the homeless. But the day when that could have been handled is long gone, the scale is simply too overwhelming anymore, and needs the full weight of government to at least get the momentum going. Hopefully we can follow the lead of Utah and get things under control so our now-unhoused neighbors do not sleep outdoors anymore. But it is going to take a lot more than the State siphoning money off a home purchase, taking their cut to do essentially nothing, and then funneling what they think our fair share is back to us. OC should not be a donor county, funding other regional plans with better political connections.

I find it mind-boggling that we can identify, and get approved by voters, a funding stream for something as asinine as ARTIC but somehow fail to identify a steady, reliable funding stream for something as basic as ensuring our now-unhoused neighbors don’t sleep outdoors and pee in bushes out of desperation! We are told we cannot shift funds away from stupid (and as predicted FAILED) nonsense like ARTIC or the upcoming streetcar, because those are restricted funds for specific purposes. Those restricted funds exist only because someone determined that specific use was a priority. One of these days we will have leaders with the stones to say aiding the homeless is a priority to Orange County communities, and set up a stable funding mechanism not subject to the whims of Sacramento so service providers can plan beyond one more budget cycle and develop long term solutions. The leader who can pull that off is likely take a political beating for it from some, but they would gain the admiration of many more who increasingly see this problem is so far gone that the non-profits and private sector solutions cannot even begin to touch the deluge of poor folks hitting our streets anymore. The problem is simply too big. I know Shawn has been out there trying to get a shelter built, (before Spitzer moved it to a ridiculous location one suspects is aimed at freeing up the high value real estate on the karcher site) and I hope Supe Nelson is able to get something concrete done before he heads off into the sunset wearing a black judicial robe, able to wear it proudly knowing he put compassion over politics.

Here’s hoping.
- Lyanna Lyns
  
  The day that Shawn “Do Nothing” Nelson becomes a judge, with his track record of ignoring crime within the County structure, is surely a sign of the coming Apocalypse. Get ready for the Four Horsemen.
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David Zenger

Franz Kafka. Paging Franz Kafka.