Tax helps, but problems lurk

editorialJust before voters underwhelmingly approved the half-cent sales tax hike to shore up the city’s finances in the wake of the June 1 landslide, we learned that the cost of emergency repairs to Bluebird Canyon are running over budget -- by at least a million dollars.

Community Recovery Coordinator Bob Burnham blames the overages on “lack of planning,” which is understandable given the true emergency nature of the repairs.

But this admission should ring a loud warning bell to city officials and the community that the landslide costs could escalate beyond the most conservative estimates of the experts.

The emergency “winterizing” repairs are not designed to put the Flamingo Road area back into service as a buildable neighborhood, but just to keep the rest of the canyon and its residents safe from the potential of another heavy rainfall season.

If the canyon gets through the winter intact, then the real work will begin to restore roads and infrastructure. It is a safe assumption that the restoration of Bluebird Canyon is not likely to come in under budget, and the longer the project lasts, the higher costs will be.

The half-cent sales tax increase should forestall drastic budget cuts to other city services, but the community should not be surprised if there is a need for more budget cuts in the future.

And it’s also a tough call whether sales tax funds will be able to be set aside for the promised disaster fund to prepare for future emergencies.

This was one of the key selling points of the sales tax increase -- that it was not simply of benefit to a particular area, but to all of Laguna.

It’s a safe bet that, given the lackluster reaction of voters to the sales tax increase -- which had a comfortable but not overwhelming 555-vote margin of approval -- extending it beyond its six-year lifespan is probably not an option.

The oversight committee will no doubt have its work cut out for it as the budget requirements of this massive project become more clear and dollars are stretched thin.

Even with the sales tax boost to city coffers, Laguna is not out of the woods when it comes to taking care of Bluebird Canyon.