My wife and I are 26-year residents of Rossmoor.
We have recently learned that our Supervisor John Moorlach, now the chair of the OC Local Agency Formation Commission, has publicly stated that he is opposed to the Rossmoor Community Service District contracting with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to provide law enforcement services or providing animal care services.
Moreover, we have learned he is actively working with OC LAFCO and the city of Los Alamitos to transfer these services and other services to the city of Los Alamitos, without a vote of the residents of Rossmoor.
He is even advocating having Los Alamitos annex Rossmoor Village, Rossmoor’s only commercial development.
There is no longer a choice to just “stay the way we are” with the county providing services.
If Supervisor Moorlach has his way, we will no longer receive law enforcement services from the sheriff.
We think the sheriff’s deputies have done an excellent job in Rossmoor under the circumstances and want them to continue to protect and serve our community.
Supervisor Moorlach clearly does not represent our interests with respect to these services or, we believe, the interests of our community in these matters.
We believe that Rossmoor will be best served in the future if the county transfers both law enforcement services and animal care services with their respective budgets to the RCSD so that Rossmoor elected officials can exercise local control over these key services provided to this community.
Fiscally, there are ways to protect Rossmoor so that we are not adversely impacted financially.
After all, it is our tax money currently funding the county’s provision of these services.
And the RCSD has demonstrated throughout its history its competence and ability to manage municipal services with a substantial reserve.
If these services are transferred to the RCSD, the sheriff has informed us that our law enforcement services would be improved based on a contract city model and the RCSD would be able to contract with Long Beach Animal Care for much more convenient and responsive animal care services.
If you agree, and want to have a voice in who provides municipal services to Rossmoor in the future, please let our supervisor, OC LAFCO and the sheriff know that you oppose the county unilaterally transferring services to Los Alamitos without input from Rossmoor and that you support the RCSD providing animal care and law enforcement services if there is no financial impact to Rossmoor residents.
Also, if you agree, you should let Supervisor Moorlach and OC LAFCO know that you oppose annexation of the Rossmoor Village. You can write to:
Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission at:
Orange County LAFCO
12 Civic Center Plaza, Room 235
Santa Ana, CA 92701
The Orange Count Sheriff at:
Sheriff Sandra Hutchens
Orange County Sheriff-Coroner
550 N. Flower St.
Santa Ana, CA 92703
And Supervisor John Moorlach at:
Supervisor John Moorlach
2nd District
10 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Eric Christensen is a longtime resident of Rossmoor.
