OC Blog

Moorlach's Ballot Measure to Remove Elected Department Heads

H/T to Martin Wisckol of the OC Register for being the first person, that I'm aware of, to report on Supervisor John Moorlach's ballot proposal to remove county wide elected department heads who "misused or neglected" their public office.  Currently, the Board of Supervisors only have budget authority over these elected officials, but cannot remove them from office, should one of them come under criminal investigation or indictment, as in the case of Treasurer Chriss Street and Sheriff Mike Carona.  According to the ballot language, it would take at least 4 Supervisors to remove any of the countywide elected officials.  The Supervisors will consider this proposal in its upcoming meeting next Tuesday and could place the measure on the February Presidential Primary.

OCEA Poll: OCers Sour On Chriss Street

Total Buzz has already posted about this, but I got a call from OCEA General Manager Nick Berardino wanting to know if I'd like him to send over their poll of OCers regarding OC Treasurer Chriss Street.

Is the Pope Catholic?

So here is the poll and the letter Nick Berardino sent to the Board of Supervisors.

One question: would the results have been any different if respondents knew about the redesigned tax bill and inserts?

Chriss Street PR Offensive Continues

Maybe we should investigate elected officials on a regular basis. it certainly seems to generate a burst of "I really am a good public servant" activity.

OC Treasurer Chriss, for example, has been on such a PR blitz ever since the avalanche of bad publicity that began with the office redecoration story. I just received media advisory announcing a press event tomorrow morning to unveil...drum roll please....

A Redesigned Tax Bill And Inserts!

Be still my beating heart.

Street Touts Support From OC Department of Education

This just came over the transom from OC Treasurer Chriss Street's office:

ORANGE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REAFFIRM CONFIDENCE IN TREASURER CHRISS W. STREET

(Santa Ana, CA) – Treasurer Chriss Street is pleased to announce the County Superintendent of Schools William Habermehl sent a letter to the Assistant Superintendents of Business, Vice Chancellors of the Community College Districts and Board of Supervisors in support of Chriss Street.  The Orange County Department of Education currently has nearly $3.1 Billion dollars invested with the County Treasurer’s office.

Two County Employees Placed On Leave For Falsifying Document That Cast Shadow On Chriss Street

I'm hearing two Resource Development and Management Department employees were placed on administrative leave on Tuesday for falsifying the controversial Ware-Malcom memo -- which is one of the sources of the controversy enveloping OC Treasurer Chriss Street in recent weeks.

Apparently RDMD staffer Clark Shen said late last week that the April 12 in the memo was a typo, but on Monday admitted it was deliberately misrepresented.

I'm also hearing more staffers might be placed on administrative leave.

More as I find it out...

UPDATE (2:21 p.m.): I spotted this Peggy Lowe and Ronald Campbell story on the OC Register website.

UPDATE (2:32 p.m.): I just got off the phone with Chriss Street spokesman Keith Rodenhuis, who said:

"We welcome the ongoing independent review and look forward to all the facts being known."

Prediction Contest: Will Supes Strip Street?

It's prediction contest time!

Will the Board of Supervisors vote to strip OC Treasurer Chriss Street of his investment authority tomorrow? Yes or no?

Submit your prediction via th comment by 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. Write how each Supervisor will vote.

Winners will receive a Magic 8-Ball.

 

Street Memo To Board of Supes: "Don't Be Stampeded"

The build-up to tomorrow continues.

OC Treasurer Chris Street composed this memo to the Board of Supes, in response to Supervisor John Moorlach.

Bryan Speegle On The Street & Ware Malcom Contract

Click here to listen to a voicemail left for OC Treasurer Chriss Street by Bryan Speegle, head of the county's Resources & Development Management Department, regarding the allegedly back-dated Ware Malcom contract.

I'm told Mr. Speegle will also be speaking at tomorrow Board of Supes meeting where the fate of Mr. Street's investment authority will be decided.

The Chriss Street Memo - Exoneration or Smoking Gun?

Tomorrow the Board of Supervisors is expected to consider whether to take oversight of county investments from Treasurer Chriss Street.

A key event that triggered this potential move by the Supervisors was the allegation that Street illegally awarded an $18,000 contract related to remodeling at the Treasurer’s office without following proper procedures, and then tried to cover it up with a memo that mentions a meeting on April 12, 2007 that never happened.

I was fascinated when I saw for the first time the actual memo and thought others might be interested in it as well.

Sundstrom's Odd Defense Of Street

If you haven't read OC Auditor-Controller David Sundstrom's column in yesterday's OC Register, you ought to.

Although his column was entitled "The Case For Keeping Chris Street," Sundstrom didn't tell readers the controversial OC Treasurer should be kept on because he's a great public servant who is doing a wonderful job as Treasurer, and someone to whom he'd happily entrust his personal investment portfolio. Indeed, Sundstrom hardly mentions Street at all.

The case Sundstrom actually makes is the 1994 OC bankruptcy led to the enactment of such an array of regulations, oversight and safeguards that whoever occupies the Orange County Treasurer's office can't do much harm even if he or she wants to.

Good points all that should be taken into consideration by the Board of Supervisors as they weigh whether to strip Mr. Street of his investment authority tomorrow pending the resolution of his various legal problems. Whether or not that was his intent, Sundstrom's op-ed comes off far more as a defense of the Treasurer's office itself, rather than a case for its current occupant. In the praise department, it is faint indeed.

UPDATE: Here's the report on the assets held by the OC Treasurer's office from Sundstrom's office.