Feud Has Killed Transit Merger Bill, Bergeson Says

A feud between cities and county officials over the makeup of a proposed new transportation panel has killed a bill aimed at merging the county’s transit and traffic planning agencies, the key sponsor of the legislation said Tuesday.

State Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach) said she will inform Senate leaders in Sacramento today of her decision to postpone further legislative action on her merger bill until next year because of the inability of the cities and the county to come to terms.

The cities, represented by the League of California Cities Orange County Division, had insisted that any new transportation governing board have 10 city representatives, five representing the county and one at-large member. County officials would not back away from their proposal for a 5-5-1 membership split.

Some city and county officials have compared the fight to a Wall Street takeover battle, with the targets the Orange County Transportation Commission and Orange County Transit District, which together have annual budgets totaling more than $150 million.

During a Senate Transportation Committee hearing in May, a Los Angeles lawmaker referred to the fight as “Orange County’s family feud.”

Bergeson said Tuesday that she had been committed only to a “consensus-backed bill,” and thus could not go forward. “Our feeling was that we should allow more negotiation to take place,” said the Newport Beach Republican, who is seeking the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor.

However, Bergeson said that both sides remain committed to the merger concept and that she expects current disputes to be resolved within a few months.

Stanley T. Oftelie, Transportation Commission executive director, said he too is confident that an agreement will be reached.

Transit District Chairman Roger R. Stanton, who is a county supervisor and is a Transportation Commission member, said he is not surprised by the merger delay: “The county has to continue to be a major player in transportation matters. I didn’t see the logic in a 10-5 split.”

League of Cities officials were unavailable Tuesday for comment.