Hall Rules Out 4th Council Term, Takes Lobbyist Job

Veteran City Council member Jan Hall answered the lingering question of whether she would run for a fourth term with a “no” this week, signaling the end of a 12-year council career but not of her political aspirations.

Her announcement came as no surprise. While others have declared their intentions to run for her 3rd District seat and launched their campaigns for the April election, Hall’s political machine has remained idle, her supporters unsure of her plans.

Since losing her bid for the new full-time mayor’s position two years ago, Hall has maintained a low profile on the council, turning her energies to her duties as a board member of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and her quest for an appointment in the Bush Administration.

“Her horizons went out beyond the district,” noted one supporter. “The district’s a tough district. She survived three terms by the skinny skin skin, and it was really time for her to move on in life.”

In a press conference Monday in her City Hall office, Hall said she had resigned her RTD position, would not seek reelection and was taking a $75,000-a-year job with a private consulting firm to act as a lobbyist for the transit district--a move that has raised the eyebrows of other district directors.

At the same time, Hall, 47, said she wanted to make “it absolutely clear that, although I am now pursuing this private-sector opportunity . . . I am not ruling out further public service, either in an elected or appointed capacity.”

Chair of the California State Commission on the Status of Women and the RTD board president for two of her nearly nine years as a director, Hall has made no secret of her ambitions. She attempted last year to parlay her experience into a federal transportation appointment and she said she remains “on lists” of prospective Bush appointees.

More realistic, say supporters, is the possibility of a state appointment if U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson, a fellow Republican, becomes the next governor.

In the meantime, the lobbying job for the RTD--which oversees regional mass transit--would keep her in political circles and flesh out her resume with a full-time job.

Hall has been hired as a vice president of CBC Consulting Inc. of Torrance, overseeing an 18-month contract with RTD to lobby on legislative issues and deal with the media.

While Hall’s hop from the RTD board to a company doing business with the transit district does not violate the district’s rules, it has stirred critical comments from some board directors who complain that the contract was never considered by the full board.

Under RTD regulations, the $99,500 contract did not have to go before the board, since it was just under the $100,000 cutoff that requires board approval.

Several board members said Alan F. Pegg, RTD general manager, consulted with them individually about the contract and Hall’s prospective involvement with the company before signing it. They nonetheless went on to attack Pegg’s handling of the contract, although they avoided any criticism of Hall.

“I think the services Jan can offer the district are very valuable,” director Jeff Jenkins said. “I don’t necessarily question her as much as the general manager and the way (the contract) was approached . . . It just looked like a quid pro quo deal.”

“We don’t need public relations,” declared director Nick Patsaouras, arguing that the CBC contract money was ill spent and that the matter should have been debated by the entire board.

The district has several employees in its governmental affairs office who handle legislative matters, as well as a spokesman who deals with the press, said the spokesman, Greg Davy. “Sometimes they need outside help,” he commented.

Hall could not be reached to respond to the directors’ remarks.

Hall’s decision not to pursue a fourth term on the City Council gives a boost to the declared contenders in the 3rd District, which covers the southeast corner of the city, an area known for its affluent shoreline neighborhoods and competitive council races.

Dentist Jim Serles, a planning commissioner who twice before challenged Hall and lost, has already built a well-oiled campaign effort for his third attempt and is bound to pick up some support from his former opponent’s camp.

But Serles could still be seen as the enemy by many Hall backers, who may turn their allegiance to Doug Drummond, a retired police commander who is making his first council bid.

“I think a lot of her support would go to Drummond,” said Jim Gray, a local bank executive and friend of Hall. “But as far as the overall race is concerned . . . (Hall) getting out of the race has to make Jim (Serles) the favorite, at least in the beginning.”

A third candidate, Louis Mirabile, also is running, and the field of contenders could grow further, as Hall’s Monday announcement still left some time for new candidates to enter the race and file their nomination papers with the city clerk’s office.

NEXT STEP Because incumbent Long Beach City Councilwoman Jan Hall is not running for reelection this April, City Council candidates in the 3rd District will get another five days to file their nomination papers with the city clerk’s office. The filing deadline for that district has been extended from today to Feb. 6.