County’s 13 State Lawmakers Cost $4.2 Million in Half of Last Session

Taxpayers footed a $4.2-million bill to support Orange County’s 13 state lawmakers during the first half of the last legislative session, a tab that covered everything from leased cars to office furniture, according to figures released Thursday.

Sen. William Campbell (R-Hacienda Heights) spent the most among Orange County legislators, $520,229, ranking him seventh in the 40-member Senate. Assemblyman Dennis Brown (R-Los Alamitos) spent the least, $204,750, putting him 75th in the 80-seat Assembly.

Three Orange County senators--Campbell, John Seymour (R-Anaheim) and Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach) ranked among the top 10 Senate spenders. Sen. Edward R. Royce (R-Anaheim) was 27th, and Sen. Cecil Green (D-Norwalk), who served only 7 full months in 1987 after winning a special election in May, spent less than any other Senate member.

In the Assembly, Orange County’s eight representatives were spread across the spending spectrum, with Doris Allen (R-Cypress) spending the most and Brown the least, for the same period, from December, 1986, through November, 1987.

‘A Cheapskate’

Assemblyman Brown, who outspent just five of his 79 Assembly colleagues, described himself as “a cheapskate.”

“I just try to be as frugal as possible,” Brown said. “There are a number of people, and I won’t mention any names, who believe that the more people they have on their staff, the more of an ego trip it is for them.

“As long as we can do the job that needs to be done and answer all the inquiries of the people who contact us, I don’t see the need to have people there just for the sake of of trying to look busy.”

Overall, the county delegation actually spent 2.1% less in 1987 than it did in 1986, when former Sen. Paul Carpenter (D-Cypress) and former Assemblyman Richard Robinson (D-Garden Grove) were still in office. With their seniority and ties to the leadership, Carpenter and Robinson led the delegation in spending that year.

The totals include staff salaries, travel, cars, district office expenses, newsletters, postage, telephones, furniture, equipment, supplies, subscriptions and photocopying. The numbers do not include staff and other costs associated with committee assignments.

Annually Compiled

The figures are compiled annually and released by the Senate and Assembly rules committees.

Although it generally costs more to run a Senate office than one in the Assembly, variances within the houses are relatively minor because each house limits how much a member can spend.

The Assembly in 1987 limited each member’s expenses to $244,900. That cap did not include $75-a-day in living expenses the members received while in session to supplement their $37,105 salaries. Also excluded from the limit was the cost of mailing newsletters. That figure is pegged to the number of constituents in each member’s district.

In the Senate, members are allotted different amounts based upon the size of their districts and the cost-of-living in the areas in which their offices are located.

For the 12 months ending Nov. 30, 1987, the average amount spent by a senator was $444,765. The Assembly average was $251,366.

Jerry Haleva, an aide to Sen. Campbell, said Campbell’s ranking as the top-spending Orange County senator was due to the size of his district, which stretches from Whittier to Laguna Niguel. Campbell maintains two district offices and arranges for his constituents to be able to call him toll-free from three different area codes.

“It’s frustrating when you look at these figures in the abstract,” Haleva said. “The additional district office is something that allows us to provide additional constituent services. We don’t want our constituents to have to pay long-distance phone charges, so we are forced to list our number in three area codes.”

Haleva said Campbell soon will be moving his El Toro office to a new El Toro location with lower rent.

Sen. Seymour, who was the second-highest spending Orange County lawmaker and ranked eighth in the Senate, said he believes that taxpayers got their money’s worth from his office.

“I suppose it’s my type-A personality,” said Seymour, who for part of 1987 had added responsibilities as chairman of the Senate Republican Caucus. “I am somebody who carries a very aggressive bill load, who just needs the support to dot the i’s and cross the t’s, and push it through.

“The other factor is that if you have some seniority around here, your staff, with their seniority, is more expensive.”

But Seymour said he will be working during the next year to keep his spending in check and lower his ranking on the Senate tally sheet.

“You look at a half-million dollars, and that’s no small amount,” he said. “That’s a sizable expenditure, and I feel inside that I’ve got to make sure every one of those bucks pays off.”

Three Orange County lawmakers spent less in 1987 than they did in 1986: Royce, Brown and Assemblyman Ross Johnson (D-La Habra).

STAFF AND OFFICE SPENDING BY COUNTY LEGISLATORS

(**House Staff Office *Total Member Ranking) Salaries Expenses Travel Spending SENATE Campbell (7) $349,806 $41,895 $5,151 $520,229 Seymour (8) $322,463 $30,435 $6,259 $519,823 Bergeson (9) $371,796 $29,301 $7,587 $517,034 Royce (27) $307,569 $22,840 $5,381 $415,112 Green (40) $181,794 $11,757 $6,383 $294,183 Senate Total $2,266,381 ASSEMBLY Allen (22) $164,430 $19,839 $8,376 $267,172 Ferguson (35) $182,214 $18,319 $4,184 $258,754 Frazee (39) $171,479 $21,446 $13,385 $256,477 Longshore (51) $155,807 $20,047 $8,306 $246,188 Lewis (52) $161,233 $21,447 $1,914 $245,592 Johnson (61) $167,931 $10,693 $4,456 $239,885 Frizzelle (67) $164,423 $15,420 $5,042 $230,049 Brown (75) $131,051 $16,728 $7,071 $204,750 Assembly Total $1,948,867

ORANGE COUNTY DELEGATION TOTAL $4,215,248 * Members ranked in order of highest to lowest spenders.

**Total spending includes staff salaries, office rental and maintenance costs, travel and other expenses.

Source: Senate Rules Committee and Assembly Rules Committee