New Board Poised for Reexamination of CEO’s Authority

SANTA ANA — When the newly seated Board of Supervisors convenes next week, one of its first and most sensitive tasks will be developing a comfortable relationship with its powerful chief executive officer.

Since her appointment in 1995, Jan Mittermeier has wielded unprecedented power as the county has struggled to emerge from bankruptcy and embarked on a government reorganization effort.

But with three new bosses now in office and the financial crisis passed, the reconfigured board is poised to reexamine Mittermeier’s authority, and if some have their way, give supervisors a larger role in managing the county bureaucracy.

“I think there will be some fine-tuning in the relationship,” Board Chairman William G. Steiner said. “I think this new board is going to want a strong voice in decisions. We have to find the right balance. . . . But any speculation that her tenure is in jeopardy is greatly exaggerated.”

Already, Steiner has proposed more board study sessions that would give supervisors and the CEO a chance to discuss policy issues before Mittermeier presents final proposals to the board.

He also wants to establish several board subcommittees that will work closely with Mittermeier on critical issues facing the county.

“If this board wants to be informed and consulted before decisions are set in concrete by the CEO, I think these are two of the approaches we can take,” Steiner said. “It’s a way for the supervisors to get into the process before it’s a done deal.”

Steiner has asked Mittermeier to halt the practice of placing items on the board agenda at the last minute. The late additions “don’t allow our staff enough time for study and makes it difficult for supervisors to cast an informed vote,” he said.

Other supervisors have also expressed interest in refining the CEO’s duties.

Supervisor Jim Silva said that he would like to see the board take a greater role in government reorganization efforts and be more involved in the development of county policies.

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Before the bankruptcy, the board had all those powers and many more under a structure that placed a county administrative officer in charge of managing the bureaucracy.

But that position lacked central authority over county departments, and some viewed it as a contributing factor in the governmental breakdown that led to the December 1994 bankruptcy. With no top executive in charge, top officials blamed each other.

In response, the board established a “strong” CEO with authority to manage day-to-day affairs in much the same way a city manager or company president does. But a county charter proposal that would have codified the CEO’s new powers was defeated by voters in 1995.

Some government reformers now fear the board intends a return to the old system.

“I think we have seen a definite improvement under this system. [Mittermeier] has done a good job, but that’s because the board up to now has let her do a good job,” said Bruce Sumner, a retired judge who helped craft the charter. “The new board could decide they want to go back to the pre-bankruptcy days and keep all the power for themselves.”

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Steiner and incoming supervisor Charles V. Smith agreed that it would be a mistake to return to the old structure, which they described as inefficient and chaotic.

“It’s my belief that the supervisors make the policy, and the CEO is given the power to implement it,” Smith said. “I don’t think it’s productive for the supervisors to micromanage and mess around at the department level. That approach didn’t work before.”

Supervisor Thomas W. Wilson said he favors “a happy medium” that retains a top executive to manage the county but also gives supervisors a larger role in crafting policy.

“It went from the board doing everything to the CEO doing everything,” Wilson said. “I think we can sit down together and reach common ground that is less polarizing. . . . Communication is going to be the key.”

So far, Mittermeier has said little about the debate. “Jan doesn’t feel it is appropriate to discuss this issue in the newspapers,” said county spokeswoman Diane Thomas. “She feels it is something best discussed between her and the board.”

Mittermeier’s office released a letter this week saying that the CEO considered “establishing relationships with new board members” a top priority for 1997, along with developing with supervisors a five-year strategic plan for the county.

The former director of John Wayne Airport, Mittermeier became CEO after the resignation of William Popejoy, a retired businessman who frequently clashed with the board.

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Mittermeier has won praise from business leaders and others for helping guide the county out of bankruptcy. Former Chairman Roger R. Stanton didn’t let a board meeting go by without showering accolades on the CEO.

But some community activists complain that she can be autocratic and prefers handling pressing issues without public input or scrutiny. Others believe the supervisors have placed too much authority in the hands of an official who has not been elected.

“I have come to respect Jan and want to be a loyal soldier,” Clerk-Recorder Gary L. Granville said. “But as a form of government, I don’t think it is good.”