Those polled ranked crime prevention highest among the 11 community issues that were included. At the bottom were limiting commercial and residential growth and utility-line burial.
Mansoor said public safety is a top issue for him, but infrastructure projects ? such as the utility work ? are also important.
"I still believe that there is support for putting utilities underground and some of the survey questions indicated that," Mansoor said. "The real question is how do we pay for it, and the survey indicated that people were not willing to go with a utility user tax, and I respect that."
The survey showed voters probably would reject a tax on utility users, which would include most residents, and respondents were lukewarm toward a possible sales tax increase.
Conversely, more than 60% of those polled said they'd definitely or probably support a boost in the hotel visitors tax, known as the transient occupancy tax. Costa Mesa now charges a 6% tax on hotel stays ? a rate that hasn't changed in more than 24 years and is the lowest rate in the county ? and an additional 2% that goes to the city's visitor bureau to promote Costa Mesa tourism.
The 6% hotel tax is expected to generate $4.9 million this year for the city's general fund.
As far as increasing the hotel visitors tax, that's the rub ? it couldn't go exclusively to utility line burial. Only a special tax can be devoted to a specific use, and that must pass a two-thirds threshold of voter approval.
Four of five council members would need to vote for the hotel visitors tax increase to get it on the fall ballot, and passing it would require the support of a simple majority of voters.
"I have been very clear from the start that if any type of funding is provided, it's my intent that it goes toward putting utilities underground," Mansoor said.
