O.C. SUPERVISOR VASQUEZ STEPS DOWN : Statement Issued by Supervisor Vasquez

After much personal reflection and evaluation, I have made a personal decision I believe will serve the best interests of my family and the county. On July 13, 1995, I advised the governor’s office that I would be stepping aside as Supervisor of the 3rd District effective Friday, Sept. 22, 1995.

It is my strong belief that our efforts over the past months have had positive results and the components are now in place for a recovery to take hold. Orange County will recover from this calamity and it will do so because we have been swift and decisive in rendering critical decisions.

For the past eight years and four months, I have had the honor and privilege of representing the 3rd District on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. It has been an exciting and challenging period of time in my life and I have been gratified by the accomplishments of the past years resulting in greater benefits and service to the residents of the 3rd District.

As I prepare to leave office, I remain committed to the goals that we have set for the coming weeks and will continue to work with our staff, our legislative delegation and the governor’s office to develop legislation that will help in our recovery effort. I will continue to participate in the executive search for a permanent county executive officer and I will work to ensure that our county’s budget process is completed by the date of my departure. And I look forward to working with and supporting the efforts of the Orange County Business Council in their quest to develop an alternative plan to address the pending issues of the recovery.

I am confident that the coming weeks and months will bring new opportunities to put this crisis behind us and allow us to move forward, but we should not forget that since Dec. 6, 1994, much has been accomplished.

The board responded quickly by retaining the services of Tom Hayes, the former state treasurer of California. Tom led the successful effort to restructure the portfolio and stabilize a volatile situation.

Thanks to the establishment of the Operations Management Council, and their outstanding efforts, a fiscal crisis was averted and the county fund was restructured to meet reductions while maintaining essential services.

A comprehensive settlement agreement was achieved and supported by the investment pool participants with subsequent approval by the federal Bankruptcy Court. The agreement proved to be vital in that the distributions made under the agreement permitted pool participants to avoid default on their respective indebtedness.

On July 7, 1995, the county achieved a rollover transaction that will allow the county time to identify the necessary revenues with the goal of meeting its obligations.

Much has been accomplished in the area of government restructuring and more is underway. The formation of a charter commission, a privatization task force, and the establishment of a separate auditing function all point to changes in the way the county will conduct its business in the future. I am confident that the outcome will make the county more efficient and more effective.

As I reflect on the past years, I am grateful to Gov. George Deukmejian who in 1987 appointed me to fill the vacancy in the 3rd District, and whose demonstrated integrity and commitment have been benchmarks I have used during my public service career. I thank Gov. Pete Wilson, who has been a great friend and supporter over the years and I will always be proud of our friendship and the opportunities we had to work together.

But most of all, I thank the voters of the 3rd District who twice returned me to public office and gave me the opportunity to serve and represent them. I firmly believe the 3rd District is a better place today with improved services, finer facilities, and new planned communities and cities that will serve the people well for many generations to come.

I thank the staff members of the 3rd District who have served with such commitment and dedication and the county employees who have given so much to the people of Orange County. I know them to be consummate professionals and dedicated individuals who give their best to serve the people of Orange County.

The past months have been the most difficult of my professional life and every step in the recovery effort has been challenging and, in many cases, painful. But I have been blessed and fortunate to have four outstanding colleagues who have been supportive and dedicated to the recovery of our county. I will always be grateful for their support and, most of all, their friendship.

Faith, family and true friends have sustained me during these difficult times and while I have no immediate plans, I look forward to the future, with optimism.