If Santa Barbara County voters approve a north vs. south divorce in two years, divvying up the finances and debt will be no easy task.
Figuring out an equitable way to do that is one of the most difficult tasks facing the Mission County Formation Review Commission.
Now in its sixth month of study, the commission must figure out how the North County and the remaining South Coast will fare if voters approve a split in June 2006.
During its Monday meeting, the commission pondered those financial divisions, and also considered the intricate details of setting an appropriate government spending limit for the new county.
Commissioner Jack Boysen has lobbied for the South Coast to make payments to the new county because of the number of government buildings already located in the south, and partially paid for by all county residents.
Commission Chairman Ted Tedesco said the split shouldn't be viewed as a marriage but as a business relationship, with assets split according to who paid into the purchase.