Reformers Moorlach, Granville Are Unopposed for Treasurer, Clerk

Two county reformers appointed by supervisors to reshape their departments will face voters on the June 2 ballot without challengers.

Treasurer-Tax Collector John M.W. Moorlach has become something of a folk hero in county government for his early warnings about predecessor Robert L. Citron’s risky financial investments, which plunged the county into bankruptcy in 1994.

Long active in the Republican Party, Moorlach, 41, was tapped as a logical candidate in 1994 to take on Citron, the county’s lone elected Democrat.

A certified public accountant, Moorlach sounded alarms about Citron’s investments, but his warnings irked county officials, who accused him of harming the county’s credit ratings on Wall Street.

Moorlach lost the race but was appointed in early 1995 after Citron resigned. Since then, he has implemented policies to protect the county from future risky investments.

County Clerk-Recorder Gary L. Granville was appointed in 1985 with the supervisors’ blessing to take over as clerk-recorder and clean up a problem-plagued recorder’s office, the subject of a scathing audit and complaints about untimely document recording.

Six months ago, it appeared that Granville would step down, but he changed his mind.

Granville, 68, said he will run for a final term to finish the work he started, including installation of computer systems to make recording and retrieving documents simpler.

Since taking the job, he has reduced the number of employees in the office, which now raises more money for the county general fund than it costs to operate.