Stanton to Leave Board After ’96 for New Career

Board of Supervisors Chairman Roger R. Stanton, one of two supervisors still on the board since Orange County declared bankruptcy, said Friday that he will not seek reelection when his term ends in December, 1996.

Elected supervisor in 1980, Stanton said the unprecedented financial crisis and the barrage of criticism that followed are not behind his decision. He said he simply wants to spend more time with his family and seek another career--possibly run for Congress, maybe even write a book about the bankruptcy.

“I’ve been talking this over with my wife for quite some time, since last summer,” Stanton said, adding that was when his mother died after a long illness that caused him to reflect on his life and the role of a politician. “Politics can be a career, but you shouldn’t make a career out of one office.”

Some observers wonder, however, whether the former Fountain Valley mayor and college professor is simply facing the realities that his political career is forever tarnished by the bankruptcy, making reelection a long shot at best.

“In a sense I’m sorry to see him go, but I think this bankruptcy has shown that it’s time the old regime has left,” said citizen activist Tom Rogers, a member of the anti-tax group Committees of Correspondence. “We’ve certainly agreed with him in the past on certain issues, but certainly it’s time for him to move on.”

Stanton’s announcement means the county board is in for a dramatic make-over, and his announcement was greeted by several city officials and others who say they are interested in making a run for his 1st District seat.

Of the five supervisors who were on the board when the county filed for bankruptcy Dec. 6, only Stanton and William G. Steiner remain. Gaddi H. Vasquez, who most recently served as board chairman, stepped down Wednesday. The other two supervisors, Harriett M. Wieder and past Chairman Thomas F. Riley, retired last December.

With Stanton’s departure next year, residents will have four new supervisors since the bankruptcy, a turnover that government critics say is needed to clean house and get the county back on track.

Garden Grove City Councilman Mark Leyes said he plans to run for Stanton’s seat, and Westminster Mayor Charles V. Smith said he is also close to deciding to run for the spot. Both say Stanton’s decision is likely to bring out many more candidates.

“It’s always easier not to run against an incumbent with lots of money,” said Smith, referring to Stanton’s war chest containing more than $180,000.

The county was plunged into fiscal crisis after longtime Treasurer-Tax Collector Robert L. Citron’s risky investment strategy lost nearly $1.7 billion belonging to the county, cities, schools and other government entities. The criticism has hardly abated, even though the county stands to emerge from bankruptcy as early as mid-1996 under a recovery plan approved earlier this month by the state Legislature.

Vasquez, Stanton and Steiner have each been targeted by recall efforts, although the campaign against Stanton faltered because of little support. Some question the motives behind Stanton’s announcement and believe that the supervisor was responding to low-key surveys showing a plummeting approval rating.

Stanton, 58, says his critics cannot take any of the credit for his decision not to seek reelection, because he had been considering a career move long before the bankruptcy. Earlier in the week he was hinting about his plans for the future when his wife, Karen, who is eager to have him leave the time-consuming job, laid down the law.

“My wife says it’s not negotiable so it’s not negotiable,” Stanton said with a laugh.

Stanton joined the board in 1980 when he upset incumbent Supervisor Philip Anthony, bringing to the board a professional background in management. Stanton was a Democrat at the time. He made the switch to the GOP in 1984.

Over the years, Stanton has been seen as championing diverse areas of interest, from affordable housing to fighting welfare fraud and even the slow-growth movement. He is known for constantly touting the need for fiscal prudence, longtime observers say, although some say he does not always follow through on such theories

Many say Stanton tried to take the politically expedient way out earlier this year on Measure R, a proposed half-cent sales tax increase that supporters said was needed to help bail the county out of bankruptcy.

Stanton, who has repeatedly stated his opposition to higher taxes, voted to place the measure on the ballot, even though he later came out against the tax. That apparent split decision seemed to please no one.

“We’re glad he was against it, but he shouldn’t have put it on there in the first place,” said Carole Walters, president of the Orange Taxpayers Assn.

At board meetings, Stanton is usually among the most outspoken, always willing, sometimes eager, to hotly debate issues. In the past, he has publicly upbraided county staffers, and some say he seems to relish lashing out at opponents whom he believes are acting hypocritically or are mistaken on a particular point.

During recent board meetings, for example, he would frequently point out how certain city officials were demanding that the county find ways to give up resources to solve the bankruptcy crisis, but were unwilling to have their own municipalities sacrifice in the same way.

Still, Stanton is generally respected for his work on the board and is known as one of the more accessible supervisors.

“He will listen to you, he will call you back--they all don’t do that,” said Walters, noting that she does not live in Stanton’s district but still manages to get his ear as needed.

Even Smith, who was considering a run against Stanton, had praise for him.

“Roger has always been a very, very strong leader, a hard worker,” Smith said. “I haven’t always agreed with him, but I respect him for that.”

Stanton’s decision caught some of his colleagues by surprise, in part because he is known as a fighter who enjoys taking on a challenge.

“I was surprised at his decision,” Steiner said. “But I think Roger came to this conclusion for personal reasons, other than the bankruptcy.”

Supervisor Marian Bergeson said Stanton’s last 15 months on the board may be his finest.

“There are distinct advantages to being a ‘lame duck,’ so to speak,” said Bergeson, who joined the board in January. “This offers Roger unique opportunities for leadership, to play a very productive role in continuing to deliver the county from bankruptcy.”

Attorney Wylie Aitken, a friend of Stanton’s, said that the pressures of public office have made the supervisor realize there is more to life than being a politician.

“He’s been at it almost 15 years,” Aitken said. “It’s time to find a new mountain to climb.”

Stanton said he plans to focus on the bankruptcy recovery effort for the next 15 months and will then take some time off to relax and mull over his future.

Talking about the possibility of writing a book about the bankruptcy, he joked that the first chapter would be about “how wonderful it is to come to work, attend a board meeting and have people tell you what a great job you’re doing.”