Vote early and vote often

Voters go to the polls this Tuesday with several important issues to decide, none of which is easy.

In Agoura Hills, three seats are up for grabs on the city council, and in Calabasas, Measure C asks voters whether or not to approve of the Malibu Valley Inn and Spa development.

If Measure C passes, Calabasas would have the green light to annex 152 acres of unincorporated property off Mulholland Highway and potentially reap more than $2 million in annual sales taxes once the resort is built.

In 2004, The Acorn recommended against the 203-room inn and spa and its tennis, swimming and equestrian facilities. The project is consistent with Calabasas planning and zoning designations to be adopted if annexation is approved, but not with the county’s current North Area Plan.

A year later, with nearby Soka University safely in the hands of the public parks and no longer the growth threat that it was, we feel it’s time to revisit the inn and spa and focus on its merits. This is not a shopping center, nor a busy office complex. It’s a spirited outdoor facility that integrates well with the Santa Monica Mountains recreation area. Records show that the developer can build at least 50 mansion homes at the site if he’s turned down for the inn and spa. We prefer the resort, a project that the full public can enjoy.

One thing deeply troubles us, however. Some weeks ago The Acorn initiated an unofficial, online poll trying to gauge which way the vote might go. Regrettably, we learned that certain forces were able to hack into the poll and add hundreds of votes in their favor. Technology is such that either side could have done the hacking, and quite frankly, accusations flew hard in both directions.

The poll’s current 64-to-36 percent showing in favor of the inn and spa therefore has no validity. Do not use it as a basis for your Nov. 8 vote. We regret that the campaign came down to this.

As for the Agoura Hills City Council race, The Acorn agrees with the age-old adage that in politics, change is good. Longtime Councilmember Denis Weber deserves to be reelected, but as for the other two seats, we think newcomers Bill Koehler and Todd August would be the best choices.

Koehler has a proven track record on the Agoura Hills Planning Commission, and August, a financial expert at UCLA, brings fresh ideas about improving the city’s budget. August also is the right candidate to mend fences with the city’s alienated business community.

For Las Virgenes school board, The Acorn endorses Gordon Whitehead, Cindy Iser and Dave Moorman.