Choices for the County

In addition to the three seats on the county Board of Supervisors, several other elective county offices are to be filled on Tuesday.

One is the office of district attorney, now filled by Cecil Hicks, a prosecutor for 32 years and Orange County district attorney for nearly 20 of them. He is so widely respected that he has never had a serious challenge, and no challenge at all since 1978. He has opposition this time, but Hicks is clearly the better qualified and deserves re-election. He is one of the top prosecutors in the state, and has been chosen to be the next president of the California District Attorneys Assn. Hicks has built a record of integrity and vigorous enforcement of the law that the public should be anxious to retain.

Incumbents who do their jobs well, with proven efficiency, should be returned to office unless a challenger is demonstrably more qualified. Hicks, county Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs, County Clerk Gary Granville and Public Administrator William A. Baker are incumbents who have done their jobs well and are better qualified than their challengers.

Granville, a former businessman, journalist and college teacher, was appointed by the county board to the vacant clerk’s post last year. He has made major improvements in the operation and morale of the office, and deserves reelection to carry on the good work that he has already started.

Jacobs has been county assessor for 10 years. He took over a scandal-ridden office, and has turned it into one of the best-regarded assessors’ offices in the state. The cost-conscious Jacobs has an extensive background in management and economics in private industry, and attempts to run government like a business--from all indications a successful one. He has earned reelection.

So has Baker, the public administrator who is probably as little known as the duties of his office, which oversees the estates and affairs of people who are declared wards of the county. Baker is a competent, experienced administrator.

In the case of the office of Orange County recorder, we find the incumbent lacking and the challenger better qualified. Lee Branch, the incumbent recorder, was criticized in a county administrative office management report last year for “rude behavior” toward the public and other inefficiencies. Branch contends that most of the problems have been corrected, but he is the one who allowed them to develop. We think that Greg Winterbottom, the March of Dimes’ regional director who has worked as an aide in county and state government, has the ability, experience and attitude to run the office as it should be run.

On June 3 we urge the election of:

District Attorney--CECIL HICKS

Assessor--BRADLEY L. JACOBS

County Clerk--GARY GRANVILLE

Public Administrator--WILLIAM A. BAKER

Recorder--GREG WINTERBOTTOM