Spitzer Says No More Double Dipping into Salaries

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA--Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer's efforts today to curtail "double dipping" on salaries and expenses for board members and staff ended up being a rant against how Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson pursued new term-limit rules for supervisors.

Spitzer proposed new rules on today's agenda for car allowances and salary some staffers draw for work on outside government agencies, but he admitted it was a stunt so he could rail against how Nelson wanted to put a question to voters in November that would establish new term-limit rules for supervisors.

Spitzer griped that Nelson pulled the term-limit proposal from public discussion before the board could take a vote. Nelson found a way to make the term limits retroactive, meaning Spitzer, who served on the board in the 1990s and then returned for another stint this decade, would never be able to run again when he's termed out of office.

"Before you delete an item from the public agenda it shouldn't be deleted just because you don't have the votes," Spitzer said.

Spitzer then acknowledged that he placed his items on the agenda at the last minute to make a point, not because he wanted any rules changes.

"I put it on the agenda to make a point," Spitzer said, adding that the way he went about doing it was wrong.

"This was not the proper way to bring it to the board," Spitzer acknowledged.

Under Spitzer's bogus proposals, a supervisor would not be allowed to "accept a vehicle for more than seven days in any single month or a transportation allowance from another government agency if the board of supervisors appointed that member to that other government agency."

The other non-proposal would deny staffers a "stipend, salary or other remuneration from an outside entity for assisting a supervisor if the board of supervisors appointed that supervisor to that outside entity."

None of the other supervisors responded to Spitzer during the meeting.

After the meeting, Nelson ridiculed Spitzer.

"It's like he's telling his children, 'Do not take these drugs just like I did. Let me show you what drugs do to you,' " Nelson said.

"It's bizarre," he added.

Nelson would ostensibly be affected by Spitzer's proposals because Nelson serves on the South Coast Air Quality Management District Board. Nelson's chief of staff, Denis Bilodeau, has served on the Orange County Water District board for 16 years, so the other proposed rules change might affect him.

"I don't know what he was trying to say" with his proposals, Nelson said of Spitzer. "Because all he talked about were term limits and how not to put things on the agenda. I listened, but I didn't understand what he was saying."

Nelson said he did not respond during the meeting because, "I didn't know what to say. Term limits weren't on the agenda."
Nelson said he proposed the term-limit measure because state Sen. John Moorlach, a former supervisor, asked him to. Nelson denied pursuing legislation that would allow him to remain on the board for a longer time or to return to the office after he his termed out.
"My objective was to put it on the ballot, which starts the discussion," Nelson said. "It doesn't end the thing."

At issue was whether county officials or voters could take past service on the board of supervisors and apply it to term limits retroactively. Spitzer argued it can't be done legally, but Nelson said he has a legal opinion that says it can be done.

"There is a 100 percent chance this will come back" to the board, Nelson said of term limits "And you can count on some effort to not count prior service. The thing I was accused of is exactly what will happen."

Nelson reiterated that he would like to run for Orange County Superior Court judge, not extend his term on the board of supervisors when it ends in 2019. Spitzer is due to be termed out in 2020.

Nelson accused Spitzer of an attempt to "intimidate" Bilodeau for working on the term-limit reform.
"He's clearly trying to send a message," Nelson said. "Is he going to retaliate against people for not working with him? That's a scary place to be for someone who wants to be district attorney."

Spitzer has made no secret of his desire to run against incumbent District Attorney Tony Rackauckas.

By City News Service, image Shutterstock