ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Opportunity in Vasquez’s Resignation

Gaddi H. Vasquez’s announcement Monday that he will resign next month as an Orange County supervisor offers an opportunity for a fresh look at the county in crisis. Officials from Sacramento to Santa Ana should make the most of that opportunity.

Three of the five current supervisors, including Vasquez, held their posts when the county declared bankruptcy last December due to the loss of $1.69 billion in an investment fund. Voter anger exploded and Vasquez announced in June that he would not seek reelection next year.

But merely saying he would not run again did not dilute voter antipathy for Measure R, the sales-tax alternative for bankruptcy recovery. The proposal was trounced at the polls, a defeat that will impose limits on whomever Gov. Pete Wilson appoints to replace Vasquez. Without additional funds, a new supervisor will have to focus on fixing what is broken --mostly by using available resources.

Another possible limitation is Wilson’s threat to appoint a trustee to oversee the county’s emergence from bankruptcy if the supervisors do not provide a realistic recovery plan soon.

But even with limits, the job is important, and Wilson needs to choose Vasquez’s replacement carefully. His pick of Supervisor William G. Steiner to fill a vacant seat in 1993 showed that he could make solid appointments.

William J. Popejoy, who served as temporary chief executive officer, was a reflection of the talent pool available in the county. Wilson would do well to look beyond the usual political circles in hunting for a new supervisor. Popejoy, who stepped down last week, came from the business world; academia and other professional circles also will have people knowledgeable about public policy. They should be considered.

Vasquez will not leave office for another month. That gives the governor some time to sound out all segments of the community on suggestions for a new supervisor to serve out the remainder of Vasquez’s term, which expires at the end of 1996. The governor should cast the net widely.