Popejoy Bids Quiet Farewell as County CEO : Government: Newport Beach millionaire says goodby to well-wishers and reflects on stormy five months trying to lead the way out of bankruptcy.
The mercurial tenure of William J. Popejoy officially ended Monday with a few handshakes, a few goodbys and considerable reflection on his successes and failures as Orange County’s first chief executive officer.
“This may sound corny, but I’m pleased I had the opportunity to do this job for a while,” Popejoy said shortly before stepping down from his post.
But even he admits it’s a job unfinished.
The millionaire businessman made tremendous strides in cutting budgets, getting bankruptcy recovery legislation passed in Sacramento and revamping parts of government during his five-month stint as CEO, but he was unable to achieve his ultimate goal: pulling the county out of bankruptcy.
Instead, he resigned in frustration this month following a dispute with the county supervisors, who, he said, stripped him of his powers in an effort to reassert themselves in the recovery process.
Popejoy, 57, said Monday he’ll return to the life of a retired businessman, playing tennis and tinkering around his Newport Beach home. The county’s recovery effort will be left in the hands of Airport Director Jan Mittermeier, who was appointed by the Board of Supervisors to replace him as interim CEO.
“This is a position that has a whole lot of challenges,” Popejoy said. “I hope Jan is given the opportunity to work on them.”
Unlike the fanfare and sense of urgency that greeted Popejoy when joined the county last February, his departure was a low-key affair, with him bidding farewell to county workers he befriended and “tying up a few loose ends” before his successor assumed the office.
Popejoy, accompanied by his grandson, had packed up the few personal belongings he had in his third floor office over the weekend, in part, to avoid an emotional transition Monday. He left the county building by lunchtime, in what may have been his shortest work day since becoming the county’s CEO.
Several county workers said they were sad to see him leave. Some said they will especially miss his candid approach to the county’s problems regardless of politics. Despite laying off nearly 1,000 county workers, he was respected by county employees.
“Bill’s finest moments occurred when he blurted out exactly what he believed,” said Dave Kiff, a top aide to Supervisor Marian Bergeson. “We could use more of that around county government. [His approach] was always a refreshing in county government.”
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It was his candor, however, that also frequently got him into trouble with his five bosses.
Popejoy was not shy about criticizing supervisors for lacking leadership, dismissing county government as a dysfunctional organization or using the board powers he was given to run the government as a CEO instead of as a county administrative officer, which was the top position that existed before him.
In one of his most publicized attacks, Popejoy asked the Orange County Grand Jury to investigate and remove Supervisor Roger R. Stanton for alleged misconduct in office for suggesting a possible settlement figure in the county’s $2.4-billion lawsuit against Merrill Lynch & Co. for its purported role in the county’s bankruptcy. Stanton denied any wrongdoing.
His troubled relationship with some board members was hinted at in his resignation letter, in which he only thanked Supervisors William G. Steiner and Bergeson for their support of his efforts.
Perhaps his most notable failure as the county’s top executive involved his unsuccessful attempt to get voters to approve a half-cent increase in the sales tax as the solution to the county’s bankruptcy woes. The fiscally conservative voters soundly rejected his plan.
“His downfall was the tax. He didn’t listen to the people,” said Carole Walters, a member of an anti-tax group dubbed the Committees of Correspondences, who frequently sparred with Popejoy.
But even Walters--like many who opposed Popejoy’s tax plan, said she appreciated his contributions to Orange County and his desire to help out.
“I think he did a lot for the community,” she said. “I think he is a great person.”
One secretary outside Popejoy’s office said his departure was tough not only on county staffers, but on him as well.
“I think he was real worried about becoming emotional,” the secretary said. “It was kind of sad.”
Steiner, who said he respected Popejoy’s effort at volunteerism--he worked without pay--summed up his feelings about the Popejoy Era in a brief note to him.
“Your dedication to duty and long hours of service represented an unprecedented contribution to your community,” Steiner wrote. “I think we knew from the beginning that it would not be an easy job for anyone; as you know better then most, leadership involves getting people to do unpopular things. . . . After all is said and done, you might be able to be replaced but never duplicated.”
