Survey Finds Residents Poised to Reform Orange County Government

Still seething with bitterness, Orange County residents appear poised to dramatically reshape county government in the wake of the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, according to a major public opinion survey released Monday.

Overarching worries about the county’s fiscal debacle knocked off crime and immigration as the top concerns among residents, according to the Orange County Annual Survey. Twenty-six percent of county adults identified the financial crisis as the top public policy problem in Orange County--and about the same number said they have been affected personally by the bankruptcy.

As a result of the fiscal debacle, a majority of Orange County residents appear ready to back a litany of governmental downsizing measures that include a part-time Board of Supervisors, a stronger county chief executive officer and increased privatization of county services, according to the 14th annual survey conducted for UC Irvine’s School of Social Ecology.

The survey’s release coincides with a vote today in which county supervisors are expected to consider placing a proposed county charter, dealing with the same issues, on the March ballot.

“Residents are angry and frustrated by the county government,” said UC Irvine Prof. Mark Baldassare, who conducted the poll. “Before this, we didn’t really know the extent to which residents were willing to support a restructuring of local government.”

The survey, which was conducted in telephone interviews Aug. 18-27 with 1,001 adult residents, tracks shifts in attitudes and population characteristics of county residents. It also studies their perceptions of economic, social and political issues. The margin of error is plus or minus 3%.

The survey demonstrated the bankruptcy’s demoralizing effect on consumer confidence and trust in local government. The survey revealed that more than two-thirds of respondents said they feared that the Dec. 6 bankruptcy would bear negatively on their financial health.

Baldassare said the bankruptcy appeared to stymie a growing optimism among residents who only last year gave the highest rating of satisfaction with the quality of life in Orange County since 1990.

“The survey indicated that fears about the crisis may be derailing some of the progress the county has made since the recession,” Baldassare said. “It really amounts to a missed opportunity for a strong recovery.”

Meanwhile, faith in local government hardly fared better. Forty-one percent of respondents said the current system of city and county governments sharing power is effective, compared to 56% in 1985.

To improve local government, those surveyed supported part-time supervisors and allowing a chief executive to run day-to-day affairs (59%); term limits for supervisors (83%); and authorizing county government to contract with private companies (68%).

Economically, the bankruptcy appears to have held down the Orange County Consumer Confidence Index to 90, which is unchanged from last year and below the national figure of 94, Baldassare said. The confidence index is based on five questions about personal finances and the economy now and in the future. On the heels of a regionwide economic downturn, the bankruptcy appears to have further dampened enthusiasm for buying a house in the county, with only 50% of homeowners and 41% of renters saying this would be an excellent or good investment. Two years ago, 53% of renters said buying an Orange County home was an excellent or good investment, while 59% of homeowners felt the same way.

Also, perceptions of the economy were fairly gloomy, according to the survey. Local economic assessments reverted back to levels recorded during the recession in the early 1990s. Only 19% said the county is in excellent or good shape, 50% called it fair, and 30% deemed it poor, according to the survey.

Nevertheless, residents expressed optimism about the county’s economic future with 46% believing that the economy will pick up in two years, 32% expecting no change and 19% anticipating that it will get worse.

In spite of the rancor toward local government, one in three residents believed that the county will be a better place to live in the future.

“Many residents seem to believe the county will emerge from the bankruptcy stronger than it was before,” said Cheryl Katz, a survey research associate.

Charitable donations and volunteerism, however, suffered because of the county’s bond investments crisis, the survey said.

The median annual donation was $177, down $47 from 1994. Those surveyed said they performed less volunteer work. Forty-four percent said they did volunteer work, compared to 55% the previous year.

“That’s certainly discouraging in terms of people rising to the occasion,” Baldassare said.

Though the financial crisis was listed as the top concern, crime ranked second among the county’s most pressing problems, with 43% calling crime a “big problem” and 47% describing themselves as “very or somewhat fearful” of becoming a victim.

On a brighter note, approval of the freeways is at a decade-long high with 23% calling the current system satisfactory. The number who are satisfied is up 14 points from 1990, according to the survey, which is supported by donations from 34 Orange County corporations, public agencies and foundations.

But even those encouraging figures ultimately may fall victim to the bankruptcy, Baldassare said. Recovery plans for Orange County call for transferring sales tax money from the ballot initiative known as Measure M previously earmarked for transportation improvements into an account to pay off bond debt.

“That shift could halt the progress in transportation, which had been steadily improving,” Baldassare said.

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Remaking Government

Orange County government would get a major face-lift if residents had their way.

Do you favor or oppose the following proposed measures:

Appoint a chief executive officer to run Orange County government and change the Board of Supervisors from full-time to part-time positions:

Favor: 59%

Oppose: 33%

No opinion: 8%

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Set term limits for members of the Orange County Board of Supervisors:

Favor: 83%

Oppose: 13%

No opinion: 4%

Source: Orange County Annual Surveys, UC Irvine