North Tustin could soon have its own designated ZIP code, thanks to a bill introduced by Rep. Young Kim.
The bill, from the Anaheim Hills Republican and Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, would direct the U.S. Postal Service to create unique ZIP codes for “certain communities.” That includes North Tustin, a designated unincorporated area of Orange County.
Related: North Tustin fights for independence, identity and maybe a new zip code
The North Tustin area — which boasts a strong sense of community in the foothills but uses a Santa Ana mailing address — shares a ZIP code now with Santa Ana.
That means North Tustin residents could be paying Santa Ana’s 9.25% sales tax — especially felt when buying large items like cars or appliances online, said Don Wagner, an Orange County supervisor who represents the area — since sales tax is often calculated by location. Should North Tustin get its own ZIP code, it’s possible residents wouldn’t be on the hook for quite as high of a sales tax.
The base sales tax in Orange County is 7.75%, for example.
“You’ve got a real question of taxation without representation,” Wagner said.
And aside from sales tax issues, North Tustin’s lack of its own ZIP code has also caused confusion with mailing addresses, said Kim.
When Kim heard Boebert was introducing the bill for a similar issue in the Colorado congressional district she represents, Kim said she knew the issue would hit home for North Tustin residents.
Kim said she was a part of the team that worked to create separate ZIP codes for Artesia and Cerritos in the 1990s, which she said helped clarify the two cities’ identities. Kim, in an interview, said she hopes a unique ZIP code would give North Tustin residents a similar sense of community and identity.
While the city of Tustin also considers the North Tustin area to be part of its community, Tustin Mayor Austin Lumbard said, discussions about whether North Tustin should be incorporated into neighboring cities should be left up to those residents, he said.
“A lot of those residents work in our town or have businesses in Tustin and frequent our shops and our restaurants because it’s the closest … so it’s one big community,” said Lumbard.
“Unless North Tustin residents want to be part of one of the cities that surround its borders, we shouldn’t be trying to pursue that,” he said. “It’s up to them. They should have their own ability to define where their futures come from.”
North Tustin receives municipal, police and fire services through the county. A ZIP code would not change that, but rather provide a bit more identity, supporters said.