DRIVING THE COMMUNITY AUTO DEALERS GAINING NEW INFLUENCE IN CITY.

Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - By all accounts, Santa Clarita's growth spurt is over.

Development has turned this valley's hills and canyons into subdivisions and neighborhoods, bringing this 14-year-old city to the brink of capacity after the long economic boom of the 1990s.

Valencia, the commercial heart of the city, will be complete in 2005. And the communities of Canyon Country, Newhall and Saugus aren't far behind.

``There is no doubt that things are changing,'' Councilman Bob Kellar said.

The implication of this shift goes far beyond the obvious loss of open space and an increasingly urban way of life, civic leaders said.

As the hammers and saws fall silent, the city will be forced to rely more heavily on revenues from sales tax to build much-needed roads and parks, and to buy up open space as development-related fees shrink.

``There is no doubt about the importance of sales tax to the city's revenues,'' said Steve Stark, the city's director of administrative services.

In addition to the leveling of hills and the filling in of canyons, this transformation is reshaping the political landscape in Santa Clarita.

Developers, such as The Newhall Land & Farming Company, are losing some of the clout they have traditionally wielded at City Hall. While developers still will play a major role in local politics, it is the car dealers along Valencia's Auto Row who are driving the civic debate.

Dealers new power?

``The dealers are the hub of this town's economic base,'' said Don Fleming, co-owner of Valencia Acura and president of the Santa Clarita Automobile Dealers Association, which recently re-formed after lying dormant for several years.

``The association is working to benefit the city,'' Kellar said.

The auto dealers generate 23 percent of Santa Clarita's sales tax receipts, city officials said.

``The road to City Hall may not go through Auto Row, but it is certainly part of the trip,'' Fleming said.

Associates of two dealers, Frontier Toyota and Parkway GM Supercenter, gave Mayor Frank Ferry a total of $7,250, the largest chunk of the more than $20,000 he collected from July 1 to Dec. 1. None of the other 12 candidates has begun fund-raising in earnest for the April 9 contest for three seats on the City Council.

``Their influence is increasing and it will only continue to grow,'' said Councilman Cameron Smyth, referring to the dealers.

In comparison, the only developer-related contributions to Ferry came from associates of Pac Sun LLC, whose Golden Valley Ranch project was recently approved. The company, its employees and consultants, along with their relatives gave the mayor $3,000, records show.

The campaign's six front-runners have visited the dealerships along Auto Row to talk to the owners and the 1,200 employees who work on Creekside Road.

``We're organized, united and the candidates have easy access to us,'' Fleming said. ``We know that we can really have an impact on this election.''

The dealers association will most likely recommend a slate of candidates for each of the 13 dealers to endorse in mid-March, Fleming said.

Fleming said the association's biggest fear is that Los Angeles County officials will build a new auto mall along either of the area's two freeways, and offer dealers attractive incentives, like low-interest loans, to move.

``That would destroy this community,'' Fleming said. ``We can't allow that to happen under any circumstances.''

Major contributors

The increasing influence of the auto dealers is consistent with the general principle that the biggest contributors in local elections are those that have the most at stake financially, said Jim Knox, the executive director of California Common Cause, a watchdog group.

``It is clear that the auto dealers see the City Council as their best chance to fight off the threat of another auto mall,'' Knox said. ``Money gets you access, and access is influence - and I don't think you can separate the two.''

But not everyone sees the influence of the auto dealers on Santa Clarita politics as benign.

``It is becoming obvious that you can buy an election in this city,'' said Cam Noltemeyer, a frequent critic of the City Council who often butts heads with Ferry.

Kellar called Noltemeyer's statement ``despicable.'' Earlier this year, about a dozen residents formed the Alliance to Reclaim Santa Clarita, an organization dedicated to electing three new council members to dilute what they perceive as undue influence by developers and other big companies at City Hall.

``Our politicians are heavily influenced by big business, and much less by individual taxpayers,'' said Valencia resident Tom Dicioccio, one of the founders of the group.

The auto dealers' increasing influence is a source of great consternation in the community, Dicioccio said.

``These dealers are not selling cars as an act of benevolence,'' Dicioccio said. ``They are making a tremendous amount of money.''