Controversy over billboard ownership in Westminster

The City of Westminster and a small business owner are in a battle over who should own a billboard off the 405 Freeway.

The controversy started after an Orange County family says their livelihood is in jeopardy after the city decided to take away their primary source of income, the billboard.

The billboard is one of a handful of privately-owned billboards in Westminster.

Since 2011, it's been paying the bills for the Luong family and now that family is accusing Westminster City of taking away their income so the city can get into the billboard business and start making a lot of money.

Jacko Luong comes from a family of small business owners, who came to the U.S. to pursue their American dream.

"My parents and my grandparents came over from Vietnam during the fall of Saigon," said Luong, current owner of billboard.

It was Jackos' grandfather who encouraged him to get into the billboard business and since 2011, Jacko has supported his wife, two daughters and beloved dog with the sign.

"My wife works part-time as a RN in the ER department and this is how we make our money and this is how I provide for our family of 4 and Dingo," said Luong.

Last week, the Luong family and their supporters filed into the Westminster City council chambers, after the city decided to put the brakes on their billboard. In the letter from December, the city stated that it "will not extend the certification of the billboard"- meaning the Luongs would have to shutter their billboard business and pay to take it down.

"I feel attacked and singled out. I just want to know why?" said Luong.

Loung says he got his answer during this council meeting back in June 2022. When the council discussed getting into the billboard business as a revenue source. The assistant city manager mentioned replacing the Loung's billboard, which sits on private property that the Loung's lease, with an electronic billboard.

"Negotiating with an electronic billboard company, they would be able to come in and negotiate with the property owner. The city would pay nothing to take down the old one, to put in a new one and there is a percentage that would come to the city," said the assistant city manager.

The Luongs think they're being forced out so the city can move-in, which the city denies.

This sets a poor precedent for all small businesses because the next industry could be cars or whatever and the city says, oh, look, this is really lucrative, maybe we should get into that business. It's not cool," says Loung.

Westminster's city manager did confirm that the city is looking for bids for electronic billboards on city property, but he Luongs are welcome to submit their own application.

Either way, the existing billboard must come down.

The city says the Loungs have always known as their original permit was always set to expire and the billboard be removed at the end of 2022.

Jacko however points out that the city still has the power to extend his permit and keep him in business.