The unincorporated area of Sunset Beach is now in the process of being annexed to the city of Huntington Beach. The annexation will occur although none of the roughly 1,200 residents of Sunset Beach will have voted on the issue. In fact, there is no vote at all … except for that of the seven members on the Huntington Beach City Council.
This annexation leaves some issues regarding taxation un-answered. There will be a legal challenge and the legality of using the “small island annexation” provision to be determined. But whether annexation to Huntington Beach remains in effect or not, it is not too late to fight for the future rights of Sunset Beach’s citizens to maintain their ability to influence over matters that directly involve Sunset Beach now, and for years to come.
By joining the Citizens Association of Sunset Beach, according to Jack Markovitz, the association’s founder, you are fighting for Sunset Beach’s citizens’ right to be heard. The CASB is a newly formed nonprofit mutual benefit corporation established (as an advocate for the community) to represent the rights of Sunset Beach citizens. Together with the recently formed Political Action Committee, members seek to insure the Sunset Beach community will have a voice in future.
CASB has already hired attorneys in Sacramento to file legal challenges to the annexation.
There is a citizen’s group in Huntington Beach that intends to ask the court to impose a requirement on the annexation, that Huntington Beach comply with Government Code Section 57330. If they are successful, the city of Huntington Beach will be required to impose their special taxes on Sunset Beach residents. CASB is prepared to join the lawsuit and ask that the Orange County LAFCO condition the annexation on the city of Huntington Beach, first providing Sunset Beach voters with a Prop. 218 vote on the tax issue. The Orange County LAFCO and the city of Huntington Beach administrations have already been made aware of this. They appear to be ignoring the warning, believing that the Sunset Beach residents do not have the resolve to fight.
This is history in the making. CASB is pursuing clarification of conflicting laws being imposed on Sunset Beach and hopes to set a precedent for the other LAFCOs and unincorporated cities also facing annexation in California.
The unincorporated city of nearby Rossmoor recently went through a similar annexation process. Since Rossmoor is larger than 150 acres, the “small island annexation” process could not be used. Their citizens were granted their right to vote.
You do not have to be a resident of Sunset Beach to join the CASB. By joining, you are simply saying Sunset Beach deserves a voice. And that taxation without representation is wrong. Banded together we have a chance for a new sunrise in Sunset Beach rather than a last sunset, as we know it, shoved down the resident’s throats without their approval.
If you care about Sunset Beach and any of this community’s issues; such as taxes, adequate police patrol and crime prevention, beach maintenance, taking by eminent domain, permits, and much more; go to www.SaveSunsetBeach.org (Web site for CASB) and join today.
If you don’t join, it will appear you are saying it’s okay for the will of the roughly 1,200 citizens of Sunset Beach to be swallowed up and buried amongst the roughly 200,000 residents of Huntington Beach. When it comes time for matters to be voted upon, Sunset Beach’s has approximately 650 registered voters. Huntington Beach has 128,000 voters. Our voting voice would become less then one half of 1 percent.
History is in the making. If you bury your head in the sand, that sand you love to lay on in Sunset Beach with all its present surroundings, whether you call Sunset Beach pristine, unique, historical, or just plain funky, will very likely never be the same.
By joining CASB, your voice says you want the voice, and the will, and constitutional rights of Sunset Beach to be heard.
Lori Jaid is a resident of Sunset Beach.
