Opinion

Saturday, Jul. 11, 2009

Editorial: The county’s failed gamble on mosquito abatement

By Jan. 1, the county will not attack potential infestation sites

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As of Jan. 1, the county’s mosquito control program will end.

For some, it feels as though the Public Health Services Department is punishing county residents for not supporting an expanded vector control program June 23, when the electorate heartily slapped down the measure by a 2-1 margin.

Is it a case of sour grapes? Taking their football home because they didn’t like the outcome of the game? Wish it were so; we’d have a field day smacking them around. But, alas, that just isn’t the case. Here’s the story.

The county started a mosquito abatement program in 2004 in response to the threat of mosquito-borne West Nile virus. The program employed two people and cost about $200,000 a year, money that came directly out of the county’s general fund.

Two years ago the county decided to pursue a more comprehensive abatement program that would target not only mosquitoes but also ticks, fleas and rodents — potential carriers of Lyme disease, plague and Hanta virus.

As one of the largest counties in the state, and one of only a handful of counties without such a program, it seemed reasonable.

Public Health then developed an optimal and minimal budget and was told by supervisors to pursue the optimal budget that would cost taxpayers $1.1 million a year. A coalition of community members representing government, agriculture and taxpayers was formed to oversee various concerns.

Over the next two years the county spent $250,000 in engineering assessments and ballot costs — printing and postage costs of return mail — in bringing the proposal to the public.

Meanwhile, in last December’s budget hearings, the Board of Supervisors, facing unprecedented deficits, decided to eliminate the existing program at the end of 2009, in anticipation of the vector control measure passing public approval. Call it a gamble.

And then the economy truly tanked, and with it came a drumbeat of no new taxes and fear of bureaucracy bloat. The rest is history: The measure was soundly thumped by a 67.41 percent to 32.59 percent margin.

It certainly didn’t help that after spending all that time and money pushing the vote, the Board of Supervisors buckled under the opposition’s hue and cry, refused to support the measure on the lame excuse that it didn’t want to prejudice the vote, and thus pulled the county’s property out of the tally — an amount of property equal to about 700 homes.

Bottom line? As of Jan. 1, the county will no longer be proactive in attacking potential infestation sites, although it will react to any and all public health outbreaks.

The two people who oversaw the mosquito abatement program will be let go by January; the existing larvicide will be used up over the summer; equipment will be jettisoned; and the free mosquito-eating fish program will be discontinued.

These aren’t acts of retribution; they’re decisions made by our elected officials.

It’s been, and will remain, The Tribune’s position that a $9.80 per parcel annual assessment to proactively attack disease-carrying vectors is a modest security policy, an ounce of prevention as it were. But a majority of voters has spoken; we’ll live with the consequences.

Mosquito Tips

With West Nile virus now found in the Santa Ynez Valley, here are some suggestions to keep mosquitoes at bay:

• Get rid of any standing water, whether it’s in your rain gutters, wheelbarrow or old tires, for example.

• Stock ornamental ponds with mosquito-eating fish (call Environmental health at 781-5544 for information).

• Change pet watering dishes and birdbaths twice weekly.

• Maintain your fountain.

• Fit your doors and windows with tight-fitting screens.

• In the later afternoon and evening, when out and about, wear long-sleeved shirts and wear repellent.

Also, as a preventative to tick and flea bites while out hiking on the Central Coast, wear long pants and spray DEET on boots, socks and bottoms of pants; taping cuffs to boots is also a good idea.