The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 15

B- THE SUN-TELEGRAM July 23, 1972 upervisors Decry State -Imposed Tax Lid themselves, and the state would have vide them and the state and federal i i i tha i the func- Say Comprom ise Would Trim Taxpayers' Local Control governments had to lake over "By arbitrarily limiting the authority of local government to raise taxes," Grant said, "compromise A 1000 spells doom for strong, responsive and; responsible county government In. California. "The tax rate limits presently in AB 1000 take control of county government, out of the hands of the local citizen; and taxpayer," he said. "Countyj government will become no more than, a puppet, with the strings held by thw state and federal governmems. said of those who propose the limitations.

Ayala said one of the ways the board could circumvent the limitation would be to refuse to appropriate operational funds for the courts. In that case, he said, the judges could exercise their prerogative under state law of appropriating the money (Continued From Metro Page) on because "there are 10 many ways we could get around it." "If that cam into our thinking," hit added with respect to the "freeze" proposal, "we'd let It (the rate) go up a few cents." Mrs. Smith said the proposal is unwise because, for example, it could prevent the county from providing new services which taxpayers demand and for which they are willing to pay. She said it could "create a phony situation" in which property assessments could he raised to overcome the tax rata limit, and she added: "Certainly you know I'm as tight-fisted with the tax dollar as anyone. But to have tha flexibility we need to serve tha public, we cannot have our bands tied." Meanwhile, tha survey of other Southern California counties disclosed that, tax rata reductions ars expected tn tha following: Riverside, down about cents horn $2.92 to $2.81 per $100 assessed value; I.OS Angeles, down 37 cents from Orange, down seven or eight cents horn San Diego, down as much as 13 cents from $2.93, and Ventura, down five cents from $2.49.

The Imperial County auditor's office reported that, no rate estimate has been developed yet for that county, whose levy last year was In general, as in San Bernardino County, rates have been climbing steadily In the other counties in tha past few years. Spokesmen In the administrative offices of the other counties attributed tha decreases this Loma Linda lo pick up the cost because the reform bill would require this in any case in which county expenditures were required by a court. Another way to circumvent the limitation, he conceded, would be to create special districts to levy separate taxes to finance some of the services county government now provides. Meanwhile, Santa Barbara County Supervisor Daniel G. Grant, president of the County Supervisors Association of California, issued a statement warning the costs of many public services would rise if the counties were unable to pro- or with this man who claimed to know Capt.

Fred Haueter. We talked to the captain and he doesn't know him. Capt. Haueter went to Antiqua on his vacation as a gesture of friendship, but he has never been to Argentina," said Capt. Rankin.

There's another problem, if Chief fig Transportation Grant mm year largely to a decline In welfare costs. An Orang County official said the rate there could drop eight cents, hut the hoard may add one cent in view of the rate limitations that couid be imposed by the state tax reform bill. He said the supervisors there had committed themselves by prior public statements to a rate decrease of at least seven cents. In San Rernardinn County, the rate required by current budget proposals for the general fund and the hospital would rise from $2.40 to $2.58, but the rate required for the local share of welfare payments would drop from 55 to 37 cents. (The combined rates for two other special funds would rise from 4 8 to 5.3 cents.) The supervisors appear to have few budget decisions remaining other than those connected with the estimated 394 new Job positions recommended by the administrative office.

About 285 positions would be for departments other than County General Hospital, which will be able tn hire only the number of new employes it ran finance within the rnnstraints of the separate new fund being created for it. Mikesell conceded there would be no other way for the tax rate to go but down from the $3 level if Job positions were cut, unless the board approved requested new services not now contained in the budget. He said none of these requests appeals to him. The Second District supervisor said the rate limitations proposed In the reform bill do not affect bis thinking Announces Glen Avon, Casa Blanca and the east side of Riverside, Dr. Coggin said.

Medi-Trans also proposes to expand to other rural areas, such as Corona, Edgemont and Perris. Eventually, all of Riverside County may be covered, she said. A project administrator and staff will be hired to take office in September. At present the program is operating with volunteer help. Medi-Trans is setting up a busing system to bring patients to Riverside General Hospital.

Taped health messages, in Spanish and English, will be played over a bus loudspeaker. The buses will pick up patients at special waiting areas wilhin the communities. Transportation for moderately handicapped patients will be provided by the Riverside Ambulance Association, Dr. Coggin said. System Rut even If the council now acts, the conversion to a trustee-area system may still he a long way off.

According to Supt. of Schools George fv Caldwell, the council would first have to schedule an election giving voters words "at large" from the charter section dealing with school trustee elections. Rut because of a section in the Education Coda which requires the question of representation to be settled at the time of unification, the state legislature will probably have to pass a special exemption for San Rernardino. Then, Caldwell explained, If the state legislature gives its approval, voters in the school district would be able to decide whether they wanted to convert to a trustee-area system. Caldwdl said that he based his report on an opinion from the San Bernardino County Counsel's office.

He also reported that a bill Introduced this year by Assemblyman John P. CJuimby, D-Rialto, that would have authorized districts to move to a ward system without all the red tape died in the Assembly Education Committee, lie said that it was opposed by California School Boards Association. The matter now moves back to the City Council which will consider it at its Aug. 7 meeting. about the prospective new county tax rate, and he added: "I'm just as concerned about growing taxes as the next gy-" Ayala, figuring the cost of new employes would average about $10,000 apiece, said the board "would have to rut an awful lot of positions" in order to save a penny on the rate the equivalent of about $172,000.

This is especially hue In view of the fact many new positions would be wholly or partially financed by state and federal funds, he said. However, the board chairman said the supervisors will give close scrutiny to the list of new positions. "Nobody's trying to avoid a (rate)' decrease that I know of," Mrs. Smith said. Covington told a reporter the reform hill "has absolutely no effect on our thinking on the tax rate." He said the new Job positions are needed to maintain county government's current level of service and would not provide any new services.

The Personnel Office reported that 14(5 new Job positions were added during the past 12 months, including the 62 approved by the board at budget time last year when the administrative office recommended an additional 106. The county is now reported to have about 6,125 regular employes. The supervisors said they support provisions of the reform bill for shifting (axes from property to other sources of revenue, although they noted the bill would provide local agencies little more revenue than they already receive. Rut they said the additional property taxes required if welfare costs rise again is one example of why the proposed rate limitations are unrealistic. For that reason, Covington said, it would be "more realistic" to make the limitations flexible on the basis of unemployment rates and general economic trends rather than on the basis of population and cost-of-living increases, as proposed.

The administrative officer said that for various reasons, including public pressure, the costs of law enforcement and the courts have risen at least, 30 per cent in the past three years and "bear absolutely no realization to population, assessed valuation or the cost of living." "I don't think they've recognized the problems of county government," he Arraign men I Set for Three In 29 Palms Case TWENTYNINE PALMS Three persons face arraignment tomorrow in Twentynine Palms Justice Court after their arrest for investigation of aiding a suspect in a Yucca Valley slaying. The Ihree were arrested shortly after the slaying suspect was taken into custody here Friday afternoon, and their names were released by the sheriff's office yesterday. Steven J. Beale, 20, who police said uses the name Donald John Long and other aliases, has been booked for investigation of the slaying of Martin Collins, 73, of 54863 Mountain View, Yucca Valley. Reale was arrested at 6325 Cahuilla Road in Twentynine Palms at 1:25 p.m., about 2t hours after the body of Collins was discovered lying in the Collins living room.

The retired civil engineer had been strangled, beaten and robbed, authorities said. Also arrested at the Cahuilla Road address was Jefferson Gene Windell Roone, 28, who lives at that address. Joseph Nelms, 18, and Sandra Lee Womack, 21, both of Twentynine Paljns, were arrested at another location in the city. They and Roone were booked for investigation of aiding, abetting and concealing a suspect to avoid or escape arrest, the sheriff's office said. The hour of their arraignment was not fixed.

IVom-, Thi I Good Uswtl Car Argentina Fire Chief Garcia, right, hopes he can make a deal when he arrives in Montclair Argentina Request for Fire Truck Mystery to Montclair Department Garcia erpects to go home in a fere truck, he will he disappointed. The city is fresh out, of fire trucks to give away, "I wish we knew what was going on and I wish we could give him a truck," said Capt. Rankin. "I would be a wonderful gesture. But we don't have any spare equipment." State Takes Over 174 Miles of San Bernardino County Roads MONTCLAIR Firemen here are scratching their heads over news that, a fire chief is traveling 13,000 miles from Argentina in hopes he can trade his 14-year-old car for one of the city's fire trucks.

In the first place, no one has ever heard of Chief Carlos Raul Garcia, the man from a small village near Cordoha, Argentina, who claims to have an old acquaintance on the Montclair Fire Department. "This is becoming more and more confusing all the time," said Capt. James Rankin when The Sun-Telegram contacted him yesterday. "No one in the city knows what's going on from the mayor on down," said Capt. Rankin.

"The first we heard about it. was when a TV station called to ask if they could come out and take pictures of the transaction." Mayor Harold Hayes is In San Francisco, Rankin said. He said he knows the mayor would have planned to he hrune if he were expecting the chief from Argentina. Cordoba at first was believed to he Montclair's Sister City, hut Capt. Rankin said Antiqua, Guatemala, is the only Sister City Montclair has.

"We have no connection with Cordoba Cause of Ontario Baby's Death Probed ONTARIO Coroner Rill Hill reported yesterday that internal bleeding "due to traumatic injury from unknown causes" caused a baby's death now under investigation by Ontario police. The body of Bruce Russ, 2, was found lying on a bed at his home at 314 West Park Apt. A at 9:35 a.m. Friday. Police said his mother, Lois Veniiiga, discovered the body.

$42,000 In remedial work on Old Woman Springs Road, and will also be responsible for Improving 7.4 miles of Barstow Road within the Barstow city limits. The roads will be largely the responsibility of the maintenance department of District 8 of the Division of Highways. A temporary maintenance substation is being established at VIdal: Junction, and a permanent station will he built in the vicinity at some time in the future. The substation will require a crew of 10 men. In addition, five men wilt be added to existing maintenance stations in the Yucca Valley and Barstow areas.

Maintaining the additional highway mileage will cost the state about $281,000 a year. This includes $70,000 for Old Woman Springs Road, $48,000 for Raw-tow Road and $163,000 for Twentynine Palms-Aqueduct Road. Arrowhead LOMA LINDA A $42,500 grant to provide transportation for low-Income patients to clinics, hospitals and doctors offices has been awarded the Medi-Trans program, Dr. Joan Coggin, coordinator for Regional Medical Programs in Loma Linda announced. The grant, will provide for the first three months of operation, mainly in and around Riverside, Dr.

Coggin said. Plans for extending the program into the San Rernardino area will be announced soon, she said. Tha program will offer medira! transportation to migrant workers, disadvantaged children, the disabled, Indians and other minorities, and other low income patients. It was Initiated in IDfifl as a public service by the Junior League of Riverside. The grant makes possible the continuance of the service to patients from Rubidoux, Mira Loma, Trustee Ward (Continued From Metro Page) accountability to parents was just as important for school board members as for the rest of the school system, and that people In a given area should know who they can contact when they have a problem with the schools.

"Well, I don't think that's so," said Simpson. "Now the City Council has a lot of problems that are local problems, and Just local. So a ward system works out. all right there, hut what we do affects the total system, and 1 think we need to be responsible to the total electorate. know that the courts and the legislatures have been moving more and more towards this one man, one-vote system," he said, "but It hasn't applied to school boards yet, as far as I know." At one point, the board members appeared on the verge of a shouting match tempers flared over the issue.

A possible compromise was offered by Carl Lang, executive director of the San Rernardino Teachers Association, who pointed nut that school districts In Rarstnw, Victorville and Coltnn have sdopted a system whereby trustees represent certain areas, biit are elected hv the total district. Rut, on a motion by Trustee Michael C. Llppitt, the board voted 4 to 2 to endorse the trustee-area concept and to instruct the superintendent to work with the City Council In planning for I he charter change. Dissenting were Simpson and Miller. Voting In favor were Llppitt, Jordan, Woods and Gomez.

Trustee Patrick Morris was absent. Highland Ave. Injures L.A. Molorisl SAN RERNARDINO A Los Angeles motorist was seriously Injured about noon yesterday in a collision between his car and a pickup truck at Highland Avenue and Mountain View. In serious condition at County General Hospital is Ronald VanCasberg, 25.

Police Officer Hnlert Rnhl reported VanCasberg received head Injurips in the mishap, and three passengers in his car received minor injuries. All Los Angeles residents, the three treated at. County General and relpased are Daniel Isika, 2fi; Dorothy Reagan, 25: and Margaret Muench, 23. The trurk was driven by Javier Gopar, 27, of 200 K. 30th St.

Gopar escaped injury, and a passenger in the Gopar vehicle, James Sullivan, 24. of San Bernardino was slightly hurt hut not hospitalized, Officer Rohl said. Witnesses told Rohl the eastbound car failed to stop a red light and was struck by the southbound truck- SAN BERNARDINO The state has assumed responsibility for 174 miles of San Rernardino County roads in Mojave Desert areas, the California Highway Commission announced. The long-expected action, which also includes 10.5 miles in Riverside County, brings four portions of roads previously maintained by the counties into the state system. The commission also announced that about 70 miles of old Route 66 will be turned over to San Bernardino County for maintenance early next year when Route 40 between Ludlow and Mountain Springs is completed.

Yesterday's action involves Barstow Road from Interstate 15 in Barstow to Route 18 at Lucerne Valley, Old Woman Springs Road from Route 18 in Lucerne Valley to Route 62 near Yucca Valley, and Twentynine Palms Highway and Aqueduct Road from Utah Trail Road in Twentynine Palms to the Arizona line near Parker. The Barstow Road-Old Woman Springs Road stretch will be designated State Route 247. The route covers about 77.5 miles. Old Woman Springs has tentatively carried the Route 2 4 7 designation since 1958, when it was accepted as part of the future state freeway system. The Twentynine Palms Highway-Aqueduct Road stretch will designated Route 62.

It adds 107 miles to the state system, including 10.5 miles in Riverside County on Aqueduct Road Transfer of the roads from the counties tq the stale required a complicated agreement. Before turning the roads over, the counties had to agree to bring the roads up to state standards. Although the state will assume maintenance on Aug. 1, San Bernardino County will still be responsible for Help (Continued From Metro Page) De yon suppose yea ran find a Gmndig dealer? J. Fontana I have been trying since October to find a repairman to fix my Gmndig Tape Recorder.

Do yen know of one? T.W., San Bernardlne I have been trying for a long time to And a recording made by the vocal department at San Bernardino Valley College railed "The Wassail Song." I have not met with success, however. J.W., San Bernardino ASSWER. HELP I la fortunate to have (Continued From Metro Page) construction of substandard roads. For a court order to prevent overloading of public services of theM-. Lake Arrowhead area such as roads, 5 fire prevention, schools, water and -sanitation by high density development.

Establishment of a master plan of dock and slip commitments and ll- notations, location of slips and defined. rights of property owners to usage. Verification of the reasonableness -of boat and dock fees. The association attempted onsuc- cessfully to negotiate the differences of the property owners with the developers before filing the lawsuit, the spokesman said. fll made several fine contacts for various subjects.

Our "lost or rare records and broken record players" are referred to'' Lyle's Record and Tape City on Highland Avenue in San Bernardino where then management maintains catalogues of almost every record ever cut. These A records may not always be available, but the clerks there can tell you where one might possibly be found. The same goes for fixing odd and antique-rvpe record players. However, once in a while none of us can find an answer, so invite readers to HELP! The Grundies are being taken care of at the moment hut the records and song words are" still amnn? the missing. Anyone care to send HELP! our wayT "-Tlgrm phots by Grag SehnaMur Drirrr Seriously Hurt After Cor Collides With Pickup After freeing him from wrecked car, amhnlance workers and firemen place Ronald VanCasberg, of Los Angeles, on ftretcher.