Editorial

When 95% of the people living in the unincorporated West Santa Ana

Heights area informally voted against being annexed by the city of Costa

Mesa, it should have sent a signal.

Those residents do not want to become part of Costa Mesa. In fact,

most -- like the eastern portion of Santa Ana Heights -- would rather

become Newport Beach.

That’s a fact of life that three members of the Costa Mesa City

Council either cannot accept or would prefer to ignore. So those three --

Mayor Libby Cowan and councilwomen Linda Dixon and Karen Robinson --

voted earlier this month against residents’ wishes to pursue an

annexation of West Santa Ana Heights.

So began the annexation process that will involve a Local Annexation

Formation Commission investigating the city’s desire. That group will

decide whether an annexation would be prudent.

If enough of the unincorporated area’s population -- more than 25%,

but less than 50% -- decides it does not want the annexation approved, a

vote will occur. If that sentiment totals more than 50% of the

population, then the formation commission will recommend nixing the

annexation plans.

Unless those residents are given an incentive that doesn’t exist

today, they will decide -- through a vote or not -- overwhelmingly to

down the city’s annexation plans. Meanwhile, the city the residents would

prefer to become part of -- Newport Beach -- has no desire to annex them,

but will more than likely annex their brethren -- the eastern portion of

Santa Ana Heights.

Much to the county of Orange’s chagrin, that would leave the area

unincorporated and leave the county to continue footing the bill. The

main reason the unincorporated areas around the county have been annexed

during the last decade is because the county, in the wake of its

bankruptcy, wanted and continues to want to dump the areas and the

financial burden they provide.

But annexations do not necessarily occur easily. After all, the

residents would then fall under the jurisdiction of a city, which would

have to provide public services to those residents and more regulations

to which they have to abide.

The main question to ask is what would the city gain from the

annexation? Certainly not property taxes since they would be required to

remain the borders of West Santa Ana Heights. More land to add to its

borders? Perhaps, but other than that, there would be nothing more to

gain except a plethora of unhappy residents.

So, while councilmen Gary Monahan and Chris Steel have already chosen

to abide by the desires of West Santa Ana Heights residents, the three

councilwomen have decided to continue the governmental process that will

most likely fail and become a monumental waste of time and money.

The wisest thing for those councilwomen to do would be to back out

now. For this annexation to stand half a chance, they should investigate

what they can actually do to appease those residents enough for them to

change their minds.

We doubt, though, that they ever will.