Flash! Mr "Fiscal Conservative," MV city councilman Frank Ury casts deciding vote. Details below

Don’t you just love it when candidates for elected office label oneself as a “fiscal conservative.”

Perhaps someone can tell me what this term truly represents. How do we measure it?

Well, at the June 18th meeting of the Mission Viejo city council, member Frank Ury joined two other “fiscal conservatives” in possibly creating a safety hazard as well as voting to squander taxpayer funds. While senior members Mayor Gail Reavis and Mayor Pro-tem John Paul Ledesma voted NO, Lance MaClean, Trish Kelley and (OCGOP City Chairman) Frank Ury voted to spend $150,000 (give or take) for an electronic message board at the intersection of La Paz Road and Margarite Parkway in Mission Viejo. This was acted upon without any consideration for input from members of the public who expressed their opposition in letters or Public Comments. While we cannot control electronic signage installed by local school districts this action was undertaken by those whose top responsibility is to promote public safety.

Perhaps, time permitting, I will amend this post to indicate which of the other Orange County cities have a similar electronic sign.

This trial balloon was floated two years ago with justification that our (SCAT team) senior volunteers were getting burned out. They had been manually changing the existing sign since day one. So, at a council meeting, I offered to have a group of friends take over this task. For roughly 18 months, rain or shine, we changed the message every Monday morning at 7 a.m. We were told to cease and desist due to pending sign repairs. I still have the keys to the board.

The first driver to be rear ended when stopping to read the changing message should sue the city for creating this diversion. It’s bad enough following drivers on cell phones, others drinking coffee, some reading newspapers or putting on makeup to add another potential road hazard.

Note: I am told that this project moved from our Planning Commission directly to our “routine” Consent Calendar without first appearing as New Business on any Agenda.