San Diego County Supervisors Delay Discussion Of Charter Reform Proposals

SAN DIEGO, CA — County Supervisor Joel Anderson left Tuesday's board meeting early after a scheduled discussion of two competing charter-reform proposals was delayed, a move he said denied numerous people who showed up at Tuesday's session a chance to have their voices heard on the issue.

Anderson said he was "deeply disappointed" that supporters of his proposals were denied the opportunity to speak.

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Board Vice Chair Monica Montgomery Steppe on Tuesday announced that the two proposals on various charter reforms -- one of which was offered by Anderson -- would be pushed back until Wednesday's meeting. The author of the original proposal, board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer, was absent Tuesday because she just gave birth to a baby girl, according to the board clerk.

Lawson-Remer's proposed charter changes include an expansion of term limits, but Anderson's proposal would eliminate that provision.

Anderson said he wanted his proposal heard Tuesday and he made a motion to let the discussion proceed, but that attempt failed on a deadlocked vote.

Montgomery Steppe said the discussion was being delayed to let Lawson- Remer participate, but Anderson interrupted her and said he wanted his initiative heard.

"We have a lot of speakers here," he said.

Montgomery Steppe replied, "With all due respect, I have to take on the role of acting chair, and this is how the agenda will go."

On Tuesday afternoon, Anderson told Montgomery Steppe, "I stand in solidarity with all the voices that were denied their opportunity to speak. I'll return when they have their voice heard."

He then stood and left the meeting room, prompting Montgomery Steppe to reply, "Have a wonderful day."

In a later statement, Anderson said people in favor of his initiative "took time away from their jobs, families, businesses and daily responsibilities to participate in today's meeting."

Anderson also said that the "vice chair's office was aware nearly 24 hours in advance that scheduling changes were being planned, yet the public was never properly informed."

Lawson-Remer proposed charter reforms in April, including an independent ethics commission, independent budget analyst, independent program auditor -- all of which would report to the supervisors -- and consistent term limits across all county elected offices.

The term limit proposal would allow supervisors to run for three four- year terms, instead of the current limit of two four-year terms. It also would impose term limits on the sheriff, district attorney and other county elected officials who currently have none.

On April 21, Lawson-Remer, Paloma Aguirre and Montgomery Steppe voted in favor. Anderson and Jim Desmond were opposed.

The 3-2 vote also amended the proposal, giving supervisors the option to appoint a public defender via ordinance, and letting the county counsel make technical modifications to the measure or ballot question as required by law or the Registrar of Voters.

The intention of the reforms, proponents said, is to "strengthen accountability, transparency, stability, checks and balances, independent oversight and effective government."

The proposed changes would be required to be added in a "revenue- neutral" way, meaning no new spending or reduced services.

Jack McGrory, former San Diego city manager, said the county's governance structure "has not kept pace with its size and complexity," accountability and ethics. "I appreciate the board's courage in partnering with community leaders to champion reforms that will make a real difference for the residents of San Diego County," he added.

However, Anderson put his own set of proposed reforms forward.

"My constituents deserve real reform, not a rushed power grab," Anderson said. "This proposal brings people together, fixes what needed fixing and ensures the public has the time and transparency they deserve to weigh in."

He said his counter proposal would also eliminate a provision allowing the board to confirm and remove senior staff hired by the county's chief executive, make oversight independent and protect against political machinations in the selection of contracts. His proposal would also eliminate the proposed expansion of term limits for supervisors and would remove the extension of those limits to other county elected officials, such as the sheriff and district attorney.

Lawson-Remer said previously Anderson's proposed amendments "keep the title of reform, but hollow out many of the parts that would actually make government answer to the public."

"People across San Diego County spent a year helping build a reform package that would finally bring stronger oversight, transparency, checks and balances, and accountability into county government, but the minute accountability started applying equally across county government, carve-outs started appearing for some of the most powerful offices," she added.

Desmond said he supports an ethics commission, program auditor and an independent budget analyst, but described a possible three-term term limit as "the worst form of politics and self-serving politicians."

"Every sitting supervisor ran under the current rules," he wrote to supporters. "We asked you to hire us for up to eight years. That was the contract. You don't get to win an election under one set of rules and then, from inside the building, vote to put a new set of rules on the ballot that extends your own stay.

"If the board majority genuinely believes 12 years serves San Diego County better than eight, there is an honest path. The same path the voters used in 2010. Gather signatures. Make the case to your neighbors. Let a citizen movement, not a board vote, carry the question to the ballot."

County Sheriff Kelly Martinez, whose position would be impacted if the original Lawson-Remer-led proposal goes through, supported Anderson's revise.

Anderson's proposal "strikes the right balance: it respects the authority already established in the state constitution for independently elected officials including the sheriff, district attorney and assessor- recorder-county clerk, while ensuring that political considerations do not overstep into county operations and good governance," Martinez said.

She added that while she respected the intention of Lawson-Remer to create meaningful reform, the changes in Anderson's proposal maintain "the spirit of the reforms by merely amending the measure to increase integrity, accountability and transparency. Removing the current elected supervisors from receiving an additional term, erases any appearance of self-benefit."

Martinez was joined by District Attorney Summer Stephan and Assessor Jordan Marks in endorsing Anderson's plan.

Lawson-Remer said the original reform proposal was intended to be a long-term effort to "build a stronger and more accountable county government for future generations," not to protect or attack whichever politicians happen to hold office Tuesday.

Wendy Gelernter, a leader of the Indivisible group Take Action San Diego said last week that "the public can draw its own conclusions about why powerful insiders are working so hard to keep voters out of this conversation."

"Today, the sheriff, district attorney and assessor -- all officials with no term limits -- endorsed Supervisor Anderson's amendments to stop voters from even weighing in on whether those offices, along with the Treasurer-Tax Collector office Anderson is currently running for, should ever have to follow the same term-limit standards as other county elected officials," Gelernter added.

Aguirre earlier said that when it comes to independent oversight, "we are the voice of the people," and if voters don't like the job they're doing, they can make another choice in a free and fair election.

The county's charter has not been significantly updated since 1978. Should the initial charter reform proposal pass Wednesday, it will head to the voters in this fall's election.

If Anderson's reforms pass, they will be subject to a second reading, likely next month.

By KAREN WEIL / City News Service