Sullivan, Silva Square Off Over El Toro Airport

Dave Sullivan took his underdog campaign to unseat Orange County Supervisor Jim Silva into hostile territory Thursday, telling pro-airport business leaders during a debate that he opposes plans for a commercial airport to replace the Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro.

Sullivan, a Huntington Beach councilman, and Silva were cordial during their first debate in the race for the 2nd District Board of Supervisors seat that Silva has occupied for four years.

The debate at a luncheon meeting of the Orange County Public Affairs Assn., a group of mainly pro-airport real estate developers, demonstrated the stark differences between the two men--and the ramifications for the two biggest issues facing the county.

Sullivan not only opposes the county’s airport plans, he also is against development of the Bolsa Chica Mesa. Silva supports both proposals. Sullivan’s election would turn a 3-2 board majority in favor of an airport to a majority against it.

“You cannot put an international airport in a county that is so built up,” Sullivan said.

Silva, who could count on the support of most in the audience, said an airport would benefit the county economically and could be built without affecting the quality of life for South County residents.

“The airport plan is viable,” he said. “But if there are [environmental] factors in that airport plan that cannot be mitigated, then I’m one supervisor who will not support it.”

Before the debate, Sullivan acknowledged that he was “walking into the lions’ den.” But his campaign consultant, Harvey Englander, had urged him to demonstrate that he would stand firm on controversial issues.

“People here saw that he is not a bomb-thrower and that he has reasonable solutions to the issues facing the county,” Englander said.

While most in the audience backed Silva, some remained on the fence.

“I thought they were both very well-informed and well-intentioned,” said Sandra Hester of Planned Parenthood of Orange County. “But I’m undecided.”

Audience members were allowed to question the candidates directly, and some quickly asked Sullivan whether he should be receiving funds from South County residents outside the district. The bulk of the $60,000 he has raised so far comes from anti-airport South County residents. Silva has raised more than $100,000.

Sullivan said he would “vigorously” represent the 2nd District, “but as a supervisor you have a responsibility to address the global issues affecting the entire county.”

Even so, Silva said, voters in the district, which consists of Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Los Alamitos, Garden Grove and Stanton, have twice approved countywide measures that have paved the way for the board’s proposal for an airport at El Toro.

“My district supports an airport at El Toro, and I am representing my constituents,” Silva said. “I don’t think any of us want to ruin the quality of life for any South County residents.”

Both men agreed on a number of issues, such as backing law enforcement efforts in the county.

But on another hot issue, Sullivan put Silva on the defensive by accusing the supervisors of abdicating their board responsibilities to Jan Mittermeier, the county’s chief executive officer.

Mittermeier, hired in the aftermath of the county’s historic 1994 bankruptcy, has the power to hire and fire department heads without approval from the board. She has publicly butted heads with some supervisors, who have complained they are kept in the dark on many county-related issues.

“We have full-time elected officials who should be doing their job,” said Sullivan, a retired orthodontist. “It was probably right to have a CEO in place right after the bankruptcy, but the time has now passed.”

But Silva said that while some supervisors chose to challenge Mittermeier publicly, he was vigorously questioning her actions in private.

“I don’t feel there should be the title of CEO,” he said. “It gives the wrong perception to citizens that the supervisors are not making decisions.”

Silva, who was elected in 1994, confidently touted his anti-tax record to the audience. He said he had steadfastly opposed passage of Measure R, which would have raised the sales tax by half a percentage point to pay off the bankruptcy debt.

“There have been a lot of problems in this county,” he said, “and I have attempted to solve them without raising taxpayer money.”