The article in the Sun, titled “Orcutt has eyes,” (Feb. 11) points at some growing pains for this community of 40,000 people. Crime is growing as the town grows but police protection is not. What to do? The article discusses a long-standing issue of Orcutt’s relation to the city of Santa Maria and the county.
Orcutt has become a large population in the county, almost the size of Lompoc. Its political representation is the county supervisor.
The people of Orcutt need to consider exploring a local form of governance, perhaps a local planning association such as Montecito has or a plan to become a self-standing city.
It’s not the task of the county to manage an urban area like Orcutt. It’s the city format that is designated by the state to do that.
Orcutt’s county supervisor can take the initiative to help get the ball rolling.
Once an area has become as large as Orcutt, it is difficult to annex it.
The income to run a new city comes from property taxes and sales taxes. Orcutt’s sales tax comes from the businesses on Clark Street from Highway 1 to Highway 101. Orcutt has lots of property tax sources in the hundreds of homes there.
It has to be studied to learn if the city costs can be covered by this income. If expenses are low enough it could work. Police and fire would be purchased from the county.
A good example of how this can work is found in Buellton and Goleta. Both areas have truly prospered from incorporation. Both rent county services.
An Orcutt action committee needs to be formed like the neighborhood watch to have discussions with the supervisor and to hold town hall meetings to inform the residents and take it from there.
Orcutt won’t know until it’s explored. Local control is better than no control.
This article appears in Feb 25 – Mar 3, 2016.