CEO Not Backing Child Support Office Hires

A proposal to add 87 workers to the Orange County district attorney’s child support operation will not receive the endorsement of County Chief Executive Officer Jan Mittermeier when the Board of Supervisors considers the plan next week.

Mittermeier’s staff said Thursday that it didn’t have adequate time to review the proposal, which Dist. Atty. Michael R. Capizzi unveiled last week.

“It caught us by surprise,” County Chief Financial Officer Gary Burton said. “It may be a perfectly good program that we could support with more time for due diligence. But we need more time to study these positions and look at whether there are privatization opportunities.”

Capizzi said the increased staffing is needed to improve collection of child support payments. Some single parents have criticized the family support division for not collecting more money from absent parents.

The Board of Supervisors will hold a special study session Tuesday to discuss ways to improve the family support operation. Some supervisors have talked about possibly having a private firm handle a portion of the collection effort.

Chief Assistant Dist. Atty. Maury Evans said Thursday that officials are scheduled to give Mittermeier a full briefing on the proposal before the Tuesday meeting.

Board Chairman William G. Steiner said he understands Mittermeier’s position but said it’s clear the family support division needed more resources.

“This is a lot of positions for the middle of the budget year, so I can understand Jan’s position,” Steiner said. “But ultimately, the district attorney needs more resources for child support. Eventually, this will have to be dealt with.”