Former Manager Runs for Council

The former besieged city manager of Mission Viejo said Monday that he wants to be elected to the very city council that wanted nothing to do with him last year.

Dan Joseph, who in November accepted $221,000 in exchange for quitting, will probably be running against two of his biggest detractors during his tenure -- Mayor Gail Reavis and community activist Brad Morton.

Reavis and Morton have not announced their candidacies, but both picked up candidate papers this month.

Reavis, elected in 2000, was in the thick of the drama last November as the City Council agreed to buy out the balance of Joseph’s contract and then some, in exchange for his agreeing to quit as the city’s top executive. Reavis did not return phone calls from The Times.

Morton, an attorney, leads a citizens watchdog group, Committee for Integrity in Government, that regularly criticized Joseph for what it characterized as excessive spending. Frank Ury, a member of the watchdog group, also picked up candidate papers, and Councilman William S. Craycraft said Monday he intends to run for a fifth term.

Two of the council’s five seats are up for election in November.

“The citizens of Mission Viejo need some sort of a choice,” said Joseph, 54. “I don’t see a distinction between Gail Reavis, Brad Morton and Frank Ury. I think they all represent the naysayers, those who constantly criticize but seldom offer solutions.”

Joseph said he would run a positive campaign but was prepared for a dirty one.

“I think a lot of people decided not to run because of the battering they would take,” Joseph said. “I think I’m tough enough after all I’ve been through.”

Larry Gilbert, a core member of the watchdog group, said he was baffled by Joseph’s candidacy.

“Here’s a man who was making $150,000 a year,” Gilbert said. “I just don’t understand leaving that capacity to work with some of the people who were the party to his dismissal for a job paying $500 a month. I don’t understand the motivation other than perhaps to be in the face of Gail Reavis. Is he there to win? Or is he there to be a spoiler? He’s a real wild card in this race.”

Craycraft, one of two council members who supported extending Joseph’s contract, said he was pleasantly surprised to hear the former city manager would be joining the race.

“He’s probably the most knowledgeable of anyone in city government,” Craycraft said.

“I think it’s terrific he’s running.”

Joseph took out candidacy papers two weeks ago to gauge whether he had enough support to be a factor in the race.

After receiving a number of phone calls and e-mails, he decided to become a candidate.