Term Limits for Supervisors to Go on Ballot

Voters will be asked to decide next year whether Orange County supervisors should be limited to two consecutive terms, a government restructuring committee decided Thursday.

But the committee rejected another plan to effectively make the position a part-time job.

The Orange County Charter Commission plans to put the term-limit proposal on the ballot as part of a measure asking voters to support converting the county from a general law county to a charter law county, which supporters say would give residents greater control.

The commission, which was formed by the Board of Supervisors shortly after the county’s Dec. 6 bankruptcy, voted 17 to 4 in support of limiting supervisors to two consecutive four-year terms. Supervisor Marian Bergeson, a member of the commission, voted in favor, while Supervisor Jim Silva, also a commission member, voted against. The vote would be binding.

Also on Thursday, the commission approved a proposal that would prohibit supervisors from accepting any additional stipends or payments for sitting on the boards of other government agencies. Currently, supervisors can augment their base pay of $82,950 by about $10,000 just by sitting on several other boards, such as the Orange County Transportation Authority. That also will be part of the ballot measure.

Another proposal that was supported by the Orange County Business Council but rejected by the commission would have limited the supervisors’ salaries to the highest pay given to any city council in the county. Because all councils in the county are part-time positions rarely making more than $1,000 a month, the position of supervisor effectively would have become part time.

“It would be impossible to attract the best people around for the job,” said commission member Victoria Jaffe.

The commission agreed that the Board of Supervisors should continue to be allowed to set its own salary, provided that it is done during a public meeting.

Commission members on Thursday said they were close to finalizing the official language for their ballot measure, which is expected to go before voters in March.