Residency

Responding to a complaint filed during a heated political campaign, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office is looking into residency questions regarding another area officeholder. David Demerjian, who heads the district attorney's public integrity division, said he is checking into allegations that freshman Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) did not live in his district last year at the address where he was registered to vote. Gatto's 43rd Assembly District includes Glendale and the northeast Los Angeles area.

The Orange County district attorney's office is investigating whether 1st District supervisorial candidate Mark Leyes lives outside the district. Leyes is one of five candidates in the March 26 election. Another candidate, Gary Copeland, has also been accused of living outside the district. Acting on a citizen complaint, the district attorney's office is checking whether Leyes lives in a section of Garden Grove that is part of the 2nd Supervisorial District, Assistant Dist. Atty. Guy Ormes said.

Under a policy approved this month, new directors of Mesa Consolidated Water District will be asked but not required to swear that they are residents of the district. The issue arose last year when some residents challenged board President Tom Nelson's eligibility because he owned a home in Seal Beach, outside the water district. Nelson, who has since resigned from the board, maintained that his primary residence was a converted office in Costa Mesa.

One student enrolled in Beverly Hills High School this year using a virtual address obtained on the Web. Other Beverly Hills students have falsely claimed to live with grandparents or cousins who reside in the city. Unethical owners of Beverly Hills properties have even sold mailing addresses to out-of-area students. The use of fraudulent addresses to enroll in the city's acclaimed schools is an age-old problem, according to officials with the Beverly Hills Unified School District who recounted these examples.

A Fullerton councilwoman facing accusations that she lives in a sprawling $1.5-million Chino Hills home rather than in a rented motor-inn apartment failed to file reelection papers Friday, effectively bowing out of city politics.

Kudos for your Jan. 24 article describing the discrimination settlement by the owners of Santa Ana's Plaza Mobile Estates ("Settlement Is News at Mobile Home Park"). For many years, the owners and managers of our area's mobile parks have utilized weak laws and an increasingly apathetic state Department of Housing to intimidate and discriminate against people from all walks of life seeking residency within their parks. As an agent in a firm that has sold over 200 mobiles in the past few years, I have witnessed, first-hand, parks attempting to deny residency based upon race, age, sex, religion and sexual orientation.

Anaheim City School trustees said Tuesday that they will take no action on allegations that one of their members does not live within the district. In February, community activist Duane Roberts filed a complaint with the board and the district attorney alleging that Trustee Don Garcia's main residence is in Newport Beach. Roberts said Garcia's personal checks are printed with a Corona del Mar address and that the Anaheim home where Garcia says he lives shows no sign of habitation.

More than 2,200 students will be re-enrolled at four Burbank schools next week as the school district once again searches for Glendale residents who are illegally attending schools here. "There is a perception that we have students who are enrolled in our schools who may not be legally residing in Burbank," said Bob Fraser, director of elementary of education.

Fullerton Councilwoman Julie Sa defended herself Thursday against allegations that she is living outside the city, saying she splits her time between her $1.4-million Chino Hills estate, her parents' house in Anaheim Hills and her one-bedroom apartment in Fullerton. "I have nothing to hide," Sa said. "I'm obligated to voters to let them know the truth, and this is the truth. Do I stay in Fullerton seven nights a week? No."

In its final action before adjourning for the year, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved legislation Wednesday to grant permanent resident status to South Korean immigrant Jasmin Salehi, who faced deportation after her husband was slain two years ago. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) and Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), is expected to be signed by President Clinton in the next few days.