ORANGE COUNTY VOICES : Lean Times Demand More Efficient Leadership

This year, 1991, is being considered as one of the toughest budget years for California counties in history. Revenues are down, and local government is feeling the pinch like never before. Orange County is facing an estimated $10-million shortfall.

The fiscal epidemic is statewide, and several counties are on the brink of fiscal collapse. Counties are having to make major adjustments and, in some cases, eliminate non-mandated programs. In a recent County Supervisors Assn. of California publication, the list of woes was long, forecasting a very negative picture.

Orange County is also undergoing dramatic change: unincorporated areas are transforming into cities; our population is growing and becoming more culturally diverse; demand for county services has risen dramatically, yet revenue to pay for services has dwindled.

However, I’m optimistic that with solid planning, we will emerge with a leaner, more efficient way of doing business, yet committed to providing essential services. County government must adapt to change and re-evaluate the way it does business.

As chairman of the Board of Supervisors, I see this year as an opportunity to retool county government for the ‘90s. While there are many uncertainties about the future, one thing is certain--the days of governmental growth and expansion are over. Like private enterprise, government must now realize that when revenues are down, the size of government must also be reduced.

Not that Orange County hasn’t done its part. It has one of the lowest county employee-to-citizen ratios among major counties in America, and its tax rate is the lowest in the state. The county has a prudent reserve and maintains a solid bond rating, even in the face of perilous financial times.

Despite limited funding, the county recently expanded John Wayne Airport tenfold with the addition of the beautiful new Thomas F. Riley Terminal. The opening marked a new era of air travel and provided a positive stimulus to the local economy. Jail expansion is finally a reality with the addition of 602 new beds at the Theo Lacy Jail. We are putting the finishing touches on a new Juvenile Justice Center which will provide much-needed court space for processing juvenile cases. And on the environmental front, the county has recently opened the state-of-the-art Bee Canyon Landfill.

But we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. That is why I have outlined a number of proposals which may provide new avenues of financing and greater governmental efficiency.

I am proposing that county government launch a diligent effort to identify those areas where privatization could provide us with a more cost-effective and efficient way of doing business. While some progress has been made in this area, I believe there is more that can be done.

However, that privatization can be difficult, thanks to the laws that affect general-law counties such as ours. A recent example is an effort by the board to privatize food services in our correctional facilities. Although the private sector can provide this service more economically, as a general-law county we need legislative approval to implement this service.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors is now assessing the merits of asking voters to approve changing Orange County from a general-law to a charter-law county. This change could usher in a greater level of local control and self-determination.

As the owner of several large parcels of property, the county will also be evaluating the cost benefits of private-public partnerships to develop surplus land. The county would retain ownership of the land while enjoying the financial benefits of an annual revenue stream which could be used to fund critical programs.

I believe we are poised to make these changes and set a positive course for Orange County. We have the opportunity to build on a strong foundation of responsible government, fiscal conservatism and sound business practices in the management of taxpayer dollars.