Search for Supervisor Intensifies

Gov. Pete Wilson’s search for a new 5th District supervisor is intensifying now that Marian Bergeson has officially stepped down from the Board of Supervisors to become Wilson’s education secretary.

The governor’s office is releasing few details about the search other than that 16 people applied for the post. But several county officials indicated Monday that the “short list” of potential successors has grown in recent days, and now includes former Irvine Mayor Bill Vardoulis.

Some also consider current Irvine Mayor Mike Ward and Sally Anne Sheridan, another former Irvine mayor, to be strong contenders along with three early favorites: Laguna Niguel Councilwoman Patricia C. Bates, Laguna Hills Councilman R. Craig Scott and state water official Mary Jane Forster.

District 5 stretches from Newport Beach to San Clemente and includes many South County communities, including Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, Laguna Beach, San Juan Capistrano and Irvine.

With 120,000 residents, Irvine is the district’s largest city and is home to about half of the district’s jobs.

Vardoulis, an engineer who served on the Irvine City Council for 10 years, confirmed Monday that he applied for the open seat and has spoken to officials at the governor’s office “two or three times.” But he said he received no indication whether he is a finalist.

As a councilman, Vardoulis sometimes clashed with Larry Agran, the liberal former Irvine mayor, and was generally supportive of most Irvine Co. development projects. He left office in 1992 but remains active in the Irvine Chamber of Commerce and Building Industry Assn. of Orange County.

In 1994, Vardoulis served as project manager on some early reuse plans for the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, which the county wants to convert into a commercial airport. Neither he nor his engineering firm has been involved in more recent airport planning.

Many South County officials oppose the airport proposal, saying it will cause noise, traffic and pollution problems. But some North County leaders favor it, because of the jobs and economic benefits they believe the airport would bring.

Vardoulis expressed dissatisfaction with the county’s environmental impact report on the El Toro project, which supervisors are scheduled to consider in December. But he stopped short of saying how he would vote on the project.

“There are some serious problems with the EIR in terms of a lack of completeness. That is not a secret,” Vardoulis said. “I don’t think it would be fair to broadcast a vote on it. You have to hear all sides. Right now, it would be tough to convince me to support it.”

Vardoulis said the report should more fully examine the benefits of turning El Toro into a commercial airport versus the benefits of expanding John Wayne Airport.

Ward, Irvine’s current mayor, said he also is a candidate for the supervisor position.

Ward has been one of the most outspoken opponents of the El Toro conversion plan and has criticized county government in the wake of its 1994 bankruptcy.

But on Monday, Ward said he would work to ease divisions over the airport and other county issues if appointed to the board.

“We have to bring the county together. This north-south division is not good for Orange County,” he said. “I think if we sit down and start talking, we will see that people in the North County want and need the same things as people in South County.”

Sheridan could not be reached for comment. She ran for Irvine mayor again this year but lost to Councilwoman Christina Shea.

Besides the favorites, other officials in the running include Laguna Hills Councilwoman Melody Carruth, Laguna Niguel Councilman Thomas W. Wilson, former Dana Point Mayor Eileen Krause and Republican Party activist Thomas C. Rogers.

Julia Justus, the governor’s appointments secretary, said Wilson hopes to fill Bergeson’s seat soon.

“I would like to assure the people of the 5th District that we do not intend to leave them without a representative for very long,” she said.

But she declined to name the candidates or provide details about the appointment process.

Also contributing to this report was Times staff writer Janet Wilson.