County Leaders Have Much to Do in 1995 : * Business, Academic Communities Must Lend a Hand

Under ordinary circumstances, the passing of the torch to a newly composed Board of Supervisors this week might prompt some reflection on challenges yet unmet, an assessment of new priorities, and a welcoming word for two new members. These are not such ordinary times, to say the least.

A complete picture of the bankruptcy crisis is still taking shape, but if recent weeks have revealed anything, it is that there is accountability to be spread around. The board nevertheless has become a lightning rod for criticism, especially in view of its unquestioning approval of loans even as the county investment pool went deeper in trouble.

The reality is that, as the board reorganizes this week, the three incumbent members cannot be considered in very good shape politically, and even the two newcomers face a stern test in light of the angry climate surrounding the county’s recent declaration of bankruptcy. Certainly, the board members individually and as a group have everything to prove in the year ahead and much to lose.

By the end of the year, when it came time to make brutal budget cuts resulting from the bond crisis, there was some talk of small sacrifices in compensation by board members. Considering the extent of the pain that now must be shared throughout county government in the months ahead, the supervisors at the very least should abandon all perks of office, including the monthly car allowances, the free gas and the cellular telephones.

The supervisors do deserve some credit for assembling a strong team to manage the crisis. Even as recall cries started to be heard, the county signaled it was trying to deal in a forthright manner with its problems and to stabilize the situation.

The board’s business in the new year is not merely limited to the resolution of the bankruptcy. There is the matter of additional jail space, an issue that has been mired too long in the considerations of protecting turf. The future of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station is a crucial item, and the supervisors’ decision at the end of 1994 to dismantle the established planning agency means that some cities that previously were included in the official planning process will now become, quite unnecessarily, adversaries.

The supervisors do not begin their new year with a great deal of political capital. What has been clear in the past few weeks is that a sense of restoration of confidence in Orange County government was largely dependent on the ability to bring in the right people to manage things over which the supervisors had little understanding.

Along those lines, the next year will pose a challenge not just for the board but for all of Orange County. The county’s resilient and global economy, now emerging with encouraging strength from recession, ought to provide context for the future. The county’s business and academic communities have had it pretty good in the past, and now we see that they have proven to be adroit at moving the county out of hard times into a more promising future. But they can no longer leave local government entirely to the politicians.

Now they must recognize an obligation to insist on becoming more involved in lending their considerable expertise and guidance. The county cannot be left to run like a mom-and-pop operation, or be guided by the political laws of a frontier society. The reorganization of a new board is a reminder that Orange County deserves much better from its political leadership, and it summons those who benefit from all that this place offers to take a responsible role in shaping the future.