Q & A

New Santa Ana City Atty.

Joseph W. Fletcher

Burbank City Atty. Joseph W. Fletcher, who made the news in 1993 when he declined a pay raise as the city faced tough economic times, has been named city attorney for Santa Ana. Fletcher, 41, will begin his new job Aug. 1. He succeeds Edward J. Cooper, who retired earlier this year. A graduate of McGeorge School of Law and Whittier College, Fletcher practiced law in Newport Beach before working in the Anaheim city attorney’s office for three years. He was appointed in 1990 as city attorney in Burbank, a Los Angeles County city with about 95,000 residents. In Santa Ana, Fletcher’s salary will be $140,000 a year, up from $120,000 in Burbank. Fletcher listed one of his major accomplishments in Burbank as developing a plan to help the city survive the loss of 12,000 aerospace jobs, leaving it with a work force of about 90,000. Now the city is facing a lack of office space with a boom in entertainment industry jobs, Fletcher said. He spoke with Times correspondent Jeff Kass about his new position, his legacy in Burbank and the differences between the two cities.

Q: What is the appeal of being city attorney for Santa Ana?

A: Santa Ana is in my business a really good organization. It’s one of the larger cities where the city attorney is appointed. It offers the chance of a lot of more complex issues, which is a challenge.

Q: How is Burbank different from Santa Ana?

A: Santa Ana is a much bigger and more diverse community. . . . Burbank, in almost any other region, would be a major player, but dealing with Los Angeles is always a challenge. I like the idea of getting more of the interaction of all the communities in Orange County.

Q: What areas of law are important for city attorneys?

A: Land use and redevelopment are before city councils all the time, and city attorneys have to be well-versed in that area of the law.

Q: How will your experience in your previous positions help you in Santa Ana and benefit the city?

A: Redevelopment is one of my areas of expertise. Finding a future for the downtown [in Santa Ana] is important.

Q: When you were earning $110,000 in 1993, you turned down a 7% raise. Why?

A: [Aerospace company] Lockheed closed. The economy hit us pretty hard. It was a no-brainer.