<i> A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life</i> : After Unplugging From SCE to Find the Beat, He’ll Go Electric Again

He’s in, he’s out, he’s in again. No, not Magic Johnson, but former County Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez, who left Southern California Edison in January after just three months on the job, but now is headed back to the utility June 24 as a vice president, company officials said.

Vasquez, an Orange resident, resigned from the Board of Supervisors after eight years last September, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family. He accepted an executive position at SCE that paid a reported $120,000 a year, only to resign three months later to take a $50,000-per-year post patrolling a beat for the Orange Police Department.

Now, Officer Vasquez is hanging up his badge and going back to SCE, where he has been doing some consulting work, said Clarence Brown, the utility’s media relations manager. Vasquez will be working with government clients as the head of what SCE calls a “competitive challenges team,” Brown said.

“He’s basically picking up where he left off,” Brown said. “We are glad to have him back.”

The Orange Police Department confirmed that Vasquez will be leaving. Vasquez could not be reached for comment.

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Falling out: It’s hard enough getting a political party started. But keeping one growing can be even more difficult, as the new Natural Law and Reform parties have found out.

Orange County voter registration figures for the five more-established parties--Democratic, Republican, Peace and Freedom, American Independent and Green--have increased since the March 26 primary.

But registration totals for the fledgling Natural Law and Reform parties have declined slightly during the same period.

“This is typical,” said Rosalyn Lever, the county registrar of voters. “There is always a big registration drive to qualify a party for the ballot, then the numbers drop off.”

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South County scores: South County politicians, who have long complained of being unrepresented in local politics, scored a recent victory when Laguna Hills Mayor Randal J. Bressette was named to the Local Agency Formation Commission, an influential county agency that rules over city incorporations and annexations.

Bressette edged out Westminster Mayor Charles V. Smith, a veteran county politico who is in a run-off for the county 1st District supervisorial seat.

Bressette sees his new job as a sign that the relatively new South County communities are establishing themselves in regional politics.

“I think we have matured into a position where it’s no longer an issue of ‘You should vote for me because I’m from South Orange County,’ ” Bressette said. “It’s now, ‘You should vote for me because I’m qualified.’ ”

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Staying put: Soon after Jan Mittermeier took over as the county’s chief executive officer nearly a year ago, some observers speculated the assignment would be only temporary. After helping guide the county out of bankruptcy, insiders suggested, Mittermeier might step down as CEO and perhaps even return to her old post as director of John Wayne Airport.

But last week, as the county officially emerged from bankruptcy, Mittermeier said she intended to stay on the job and focus on government restructuring.

“That’s the next critical step,” she said. “It’s not going to be an overnight process.”

Earlier this year, Mittermeier unveiled a two-year timeline for making county government more efficient by teaming up with cities to provide some services and examining ways of contracting out more functions. The first phase of the restructuring plan is expected to be released this week.

Mittermeier said her plans after restructuring remain undecided. “Beyond that, we’ll see,” she said.

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Shotgun wedding: Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove) is keeping the water industry buzzing with his AB2109, the bill that would merge the more than two dozen county water districts into one mega-agency. The bill passed the Assembly unanimously and is headed for what most insiders say could be a smooth sail through the state Senate.

Many water experts have called the bill “unworkable” and “draconian” because it forces the agencies to consolidate without first studying how that would work. A furious effort is underway to amend the bill before it goes to a final vote.

In the meantime, Peer Swan, longtime board member at the Irvine Ranch Water District, has advice for his colleagues: “I tell [other water officials] that we better get out and start dating because we’re going to be married in a few months.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

* Wednesday: Mission Viejo Mayor Sherri M. Butterfield will be one of the featured guests at the monthly meeting of the Capistrano Valley Republican Women Federated at 10 a.m. at Michael’s Supper Club in Dana Point. Information: Linda McKinley at (714) 489-9889.

* Wednesday: Bill Christiansen, executive director of the county Republican Party, will be the guest speaker at the monthly meeting of the Seal Beach Leisure World Republican Women Federated, 1:30 p.m. in Clubhouse 3 at Leisure World, 13533 Seal Beach Blvd. Information: (310) 598-6182.

* Friday: Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove) and state Sen. Rob Hurtt (R-Garden Grove) will be special guests at a breakfast sponsored by state Sen. Ross Johnson (R-Irvine) from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. Information: Dennis Brown at (714) 786-8594.

* Sunday: Five Democratic candidates will be guests at a special meeting of the 68th Democratic Assembly District from 3 to 6 p.m. at 12812 Wildgoose St., Garden Grove. Information: (714) 891-0373 or (714) 956-8307.

Compiled by Times staff writer Len Hall, with contributions from correspondents Shelby Grad and Frank Messina

Politics ’96 appears every Sunday. Items can be mailed to Politics ‘96, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or faxed to (714) 966-7711.

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O.C. Voter Registration:

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Party March Current Natural Law 4,800 4,567 Reform 12,006 11,482

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Source: Registrar of voters