Over and Out: Mittermeier Quits as CEO

County Executive Officer Jan Mittermeier, instrumental in leading Orange County out of its historic bankruptcy only to draw fire for her approach to planning a new airport at El Toro, stepped down Tuesday after a closed-door vote by the Board of Supervisors.

Mittermeier, who clashed with supervisors over the last few years and survived three ouster attempts, will be replaced on an interim basis by Health Care Agency Director Michael Schumacher.

Supervisors stopped short of saying Mittermeier was fired, insisting their 4-0 vote was prompted by her threat to challenge them for creating a separate El Toro office outside of her control earlier this month. Mittermeier, who did not attend Tuesday’s meeting, said it violated her contract and effectively terminated her after five years as CEO.

With Mittermeier’s departure, supervisors are now faced with filling arguably the two most important nonelected posts in county government: CEO and a new planning manager for El Toro.

In a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Mittermeier said she held no ill will toward the board and had never threatened legal action.

“The board and I philosophically disagree on what a strong central management means but they are the elected officials responsible for making those decisions,” she said, adding that she hoped supervisors would not take back any of the CEO’s duties previous boards held.

As part of a severance package approved Tuesday, Mittermeier will receive six months’ worth of pay--$80,000--plus a week of salary for each of her 25 years with the county. With paid car allowances and accrued vacation time, her total severance amount is $198,000, said her attorney, Wylie Aitken.

Mittermeier said she had no immediate plans, other than “laying on the beach while the rest of you are working,” but did not think that her termination would hurt her chances of finding a private sector job.

Supervisors said they will hire a nationwide executive search firm to recruit for both Mittermeier’s job and that of the El Toro chief, though current county managers also can apply.

“We want the best person,” Supervisor Jim Silva said. “If we can find someone in the county, that would be outstanding.”

Board Chairman Chuck Smith said he expects county government to operate more smoothly now that Mittermeier’s fate is resolved. Many employees expressed frustration at the weeks of uncertainty over who would be their boss and whose direction to take.

Whoever is hired to replace Mittermeier will be expected to work hand-in-hand with the new El Toro planning manager, Smith said.

” Tuesday’s vote was an anticlimactic end to Mittermeier’s 25 years with the county. The brief announcement was read to a meeting room empty except for the four supervisors, board clerk Darlene Bloom, County Counsel Laurence M. Watson and a reporter.

The action ended months of contentiousness between supervisors and Mittermeier, who chafed at criticism that her office was responsible for botching ongoing plans for an international airport at the closed El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

Supervisors had been at this juncture three times before in the past two years, most recently in April, over whether to fire Mittermeier.

In every previous instance, the four votes needed to pull the plug on her contract were not there.

In April, despite indications the votes were there, only Smith and longtime Mittermeier critic Todd Spitzer were willing to fire her and pay her the severance amount specified in her contract. The remaining supervisors hoped Mittermeier would agree to stay on in a diminished role as CEO without El Toro.

The turning point came about 10 days ago.

It was then that supervisors realized the ongoing squabble had spread beyond Mittermeier into other areas of county government, chiefly finding someone to fill the El Toro job. Despite other sticking points, including salary, former John Wayne Airport Director O.B. Schooley reportedly told the board that no one would take the new job if Mittermeier was still acting as CEO for other areas of county government.

Mittermeier acknowledged the problem herself. She told supervisors last week through Aitken that the only way she would stay is if they created a “firewall” for El Toro planning, using separate, non-county staff who wouldn’t have to serve two masters.

Spitzer said Mittermeier also offered to stay on as CEO for another six months to help with the transition--if the supervisors agreed to pay her another $6,000 a month during that time. The supervisors said no.

Supervisors also rejected the idea of creating a separate El Toro staff, saying the whole idea of the new office was to coordinate county departments’ planning.

After that, there was nowhere else to go other than to end her employment. The only remaining issue was how much supervisors were willing to pay in severance.

Smith, one of the pro-airport supervisors, said he was anxious to get El Toro airport planning back on track after Tuesday’s action. Supervisors hope to name an interim planning manager in the next two weeks.

Smith and Supervisor Jim Silva left Orange County Tuesday afternoon for a round of talks with officials from the Navy and Department of Defense on the master lease for the former base. Wilson was separately on his way to Washington, D.C., for meetings and did not participate in the Mittermeier vote.

Supervisor Cynthia P. Coad said she was saddened the county is losing a valuable leader in Mittermeier, who created new management techniques that included a strong and centralized approach to county management and crafting a “results-oriented” government.

“I’ve admired her throughout her career,” Coad said. “I feel confident she’ll find a good job elsewhere; any private company who wants a good CEO will probably hire her.”

Airport supporters said Mittermeier’s departure provides an opportunity for a fresh start in planning for El Toro and for county government in general.

“Michael Schumacher is a capable, longtime public employee who will provide a smooth transition in the CEO’s office,” said airport proponent Bruce Nestande, a former county supervisor.

“It’s clearly incumbent upon the board to initiate a nationwide search for the new El Toro director,” he said. “Nobody in county government has the expertise to bring this unique base closure project to a successful conclusion.”