ORANGE COUNTY IN BANKRUPTCY : Steiner, Vasquez Irked by CEO’s Remarks

County supervisors were fuming Thursday, a day after their chief executive officer made what they considered disparaging remarks about their political futures.

In remarks to The Times and the Lincoln Club of Orange County on Wednesday, County CEO William J. Popejoy suggested that Measure R, a “bankruptcy recovery” sales tax on the June 27 ballot, would have a better chance of passing if the three supervisors who were in office when the county declared bankruptcy last December were to announce they would not seek reelection. The remarks were directed at Board Chairman Gaddi H. Vasquez and Supervisors Roger R. Stanton and William G. Steiner.

Popejoy also suggested that the five-member, full-time board encourages “career politicians” who live for their office and should be replaced by a nine-member, part-time board with outside business interests.

Steiner said Thursday that although he still supports Popejoy, he was disappointed with his comments, especially after Popejoy, Sheriff Brad Gates and Dist. Atty. Michael R. Capizzi pressed him into voting to place the sales tax measure on the ballot.

“I felt like I was put into a squeeze play with Brad Gates and Mike Capizzi sitting on either side of me and Popejoy sitting across from me in a meeting,” Steiner said. “I was convinced to do so by three people I respect, and once I did that, I learn I’m excess baggage, which is a bit schizophrenic. I feel devalued, and that is distressing.”

Steiner said be believes Popejoy has grown closer to Gates, Capizzi and members of the Orange County Business Council, who had privately pressured the three supervisors in February to announce they would step down at the end of their current terms, in part because they had not supported placing a sales tax measure on the ballot.

Popejoy often keeps supervisors “out of the loop,” Steiner said, and generally doesn’t brief the elected officials before he proposes a new idea or places something on the board agenda.

“I know he’s terribly busy and doesn’t want to hold our hands, but we generally aren’t briefed before actions,” Steiner said. “We learn about events in the newspapers and generally see his agenda items five minutes before the meeting.”

Likewise, Vasquez said he was not pleased with Popejoy’s comments, calling for better communication with the chief executive.

“I think it’s unfortunate,” Vasquez said. “I think it’s definitely going to have an effect, an impact on the relationship that the chief executive officer has with the board. Up until this point, I think relations were harmonious and good. We’ll have to assess where things are today, given that commentary.”

Vasquez said he was “less than pleased” when he read Popejoy’s comments, which he called “out of bounds.” He said the negative publicity draws energy away from efforts to help the county recover from its bankruptcy.

“I applaud new ideas and new concepts,” he said. “But only when they are done at the appropriate time. The reorganization of the county and county government shouldn’t be our focus right now. Our focus should be our financial reorganization.”

Popejoy, who could not be reached for comment Thursday, said he is seeking to revamp the board more along the lines of the part-time directors of a major corporation.

“That’s his frame of reference,” Steiner said. “But because he has been aligned with the Business Council and Management Council, he gets a different perspective and should take with a grain of salt everything that’s been whispered in his ear.”

Supervisor Stanton did not return a call for comment.