OC Political

A right-of-center blog covering local, statewide, and national politics

Posts Tagged ‘Bill Habermehl’

Vacancies Galore: Politicians Leaving Mid-Term Leave Seats to Be Filled

Posted by Chris Nguyen on December 17, 2012

Empty chairThere were a lot of vacancies this year.  Three countywide posts and one school board seat remain vacant.  All salaries noted below are base pay.

County

Four of Orange County’s eight countywide posts went vacant during 2012.

  1. Orange County Clerk-Recorder: Tom Daly (D) vacated the seat this month to become the 69th District’s State Assemblyman.  Numerous candidates have either expressed interest behind the scenes or are rumored to be interested; none have made public statements.  The job pays $139,256.40 (that extra 40 cents won’t even get you enough postage to send a letter).  Apply online here by January 15.
  2. Orange County Auditor-Controller: David Sundstrom (R) vacated the seat in January to become Sonoma County Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector (yes, that really is a single office in Sonoma County).  The job pays $173,097.60 per year (that 60 cents is crucial).  Apply online here by January 15.
  3. Orange County Public Administrator: John Williams (R) resigned in January or February depending on how you interpret his resignation, un-resignation, and re-resignation saga.  Former Assemblyman Ken Lopez-Maddox (R), who is also a former Garden Grove Councilman and former Capistrano Unified School District Board Member, is the first to publicly throw his hat in the ring. (12/19 Update:The previous sentence was ambiguously worded, so to clarify, Lopez-Maddox is running for the seat in the regularly scheduled June 2014 election but has not indicated if he will apply for the appointment.)  The job pays $30,000 per year (but the Board of Supervisors frequently consolidates it with the more lucrative appointed post of Public Guardian).  Apply online here by January 15.
  4. Orange County Superintendent of Schools: Bill Habermehl (R) vacated the seat in June, deciding it was time for him to retire.  Seven of the eight countywide posts are filled by the County Board of Supervisors when there’s a vacancy.  This is the eighth post, and the County Board of Education appointed Al Mijares (R) to fill the seat.  The job pays $287,500 per year.

Many people have argued Clerk-Recorder, Auditor-Controller, Public Administrator, and various other County posts should be appointed by the Board of Supervisors instead of elected positions.  Good luck with that.  Just six months ago, 60.5% of Orange County voters rejected making Public Administrator an appointed position.

City Council

They move with great speed to fill Council vacancies in Little Saigon.

  1. Garden Grove City Council: Bruce Broadwater (D) vacated the seat this month to become Mayor of Garden Grove.  Minutes after Broadwater became Mayor, the Council held the vote to fill his newly-vacated Council seat.  New Councilman Chris Phan moved to nominate the November election’s 3rd place finisher, Phat Bui, but he failed to get a second on his nomination. Councilwoman Dina Nguyen (R) moved and Councilman Steve Jones (R) seconded the nomination of defeated Councilman Kris Beard (D), who came in 4th in the election, and the Council voted unanimously to appoint Beard to the seat.  Beard was out of office for mere minutes.  The job pays $8,093 per year.
  2. Westminster City Council: Tri Ta (R) vacated the seat this month to become Mayor of Westminster.  In stunningly rapid fashion, the Westminster City Council left his seat vacant for mere minutes before appointing Margie Rice (R) after Ta replaced Rice as Mayor.  In other words, Ta and Rice simply swapped seats.  The jobs pays $10,206 per year.

The County’s smaller cities took a little more time.

  1. Stanton City Council: Councilman Ed Royce, Sr. (R) vacated his seat for health reasons in February.  Rigoberto Ramirez (R) was appointed to fill the seat in March.  Ramirez is up for election to a four-year term in 2014.  The job pays $10,200 per year.
  2. Villa Park City Council: Councilman Bob Fauteux (R) passed away in February.  Rick Barnett (R) was appointed to fill the seat  in March and won election to a four-year term in November with no opponents.  The job pays nothing.

School Board

For the second time this year, the Anaheim Union High School District Board is filling a vacancy.

  1. Anaheim Union High School District Board (February): Earlier this year in February, Jan Harp Domene (D) passed away unexpectedly at the age of 60.  The board appointed Annemarie Randle-Trejo on a 3-1 vote in April.  OC Political covered this process.
  2. Anaheim Union High School District Board (December): Jordan Brandman (D) vacated the seat this month to become an Anaheim City Councilman.  The board will fill his seat early next year.  The job pays $9,731.52.

Brandman originally won his AUHSD seat in a February 2008 special election after a petition overturned the appointment of Harald Martin (R), who was selected by the Board to fill the seat left vacant due to the unexpected passing of Denise Mansfield-Reinking (R) in May 2007.

The AUHSD board is on its third vacancy in six years.

Special District

  1. Municipal Water District of Orange County, Division 3: Director Ed Royce, Sr. (R) vacated his seat for health reasons in February.  Wayne Osborne (R) was appointed to fill the seat in March and won election to a four-year term in a four-way race in November.  The job pays $26,594 per year.

Posted in 69th Assembly District, Anaheim, Anaheim Union High School District, Capistrano Unified School District, Garden Grove, Municipal Water District of Orange County, Orange County, Orange County Board of Education, Orange County Board of Supervisors, Stanton, Villa Park | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Strange Requirement for Applicants to Be Appointed as the New Elected Superintendent of Schools

Posted by Chris Nguyen on May 4, 2012

Seal of the Orange County Department of EducationI was reading the information about the application for Orange County Superintendent of Schools, and I found a rather odd requirement in the application process.  I’ve excerpted three key paragraphs and bolded the odd requirement.

The first paragraph reads:

“William M. Habermehl has announced his retirement as Orange County Superintendent of Schools effective June 29, 2012.  A successor will be appointed by the County Board of Education to complete the term which expires on January 5, 2015 at 12:00 noon. The successful applicant will be expected to run for the office at the end of the appointed term. The election will take place in June 2014.”

The final two paragraphs read:

“Candidates must submit a resume accompanied by no more than three letters of reference along with a written commitment to run for the office at the end of the appointed term, to Richard Nagle, Selection Consultant, Orange County Board of Education at 200 Kalmus Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, no later than 12:00 p.m., Thursday, May 24, 2012. All resumes, letters of reference, and a written commitment to run must be on file by the deadline date. Resumes, letters of reference, and a written commitment to run not received by May 24, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. will not be accepted regardless of postmark date. Resumes, letters of reference, and the written commitment to run will be public information and available for review during normal business hours at the County office located at 200 Kalmus Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626.

Resumes, letters of reference, and the written commitment to run, will be reviewed by two Board members designated by the Orange County Board of Education. Those candidates who successfully complete the initial screening process and are recommended for interviews will be sent a candidate packet by May 30, 2012. The Board will interview the identified candidates in public on staring on June 6, 2012. If necessary, the process may continue on June 7, 2012. The Board may make its appointment and determine compensation on either date. The successful applicant will be expected to run for the office of the county superintendent at the end of the appointed term. The election will take place in June 2014. The candidate who prevails in the election will assume office on January 5, 2015 at 12:00 noon.”

Obviously, the Orange County Board of Education does not want to appoint a caretaker.  What is truly odd is the demand that the applicant must commit in writing to seek election to a full four-year term to the post.  Why not have candidates commit in writing to serve the full four-year term when they seek election to the post?

Like his yet-to-be-named successor, Habermehl gained the elected Superintendent post via appointment.  In February 2001, Superintendent John F. Dean announced his resignation, effective April 2001, even though his term did not expire until January 2003.  Then-Associate Superintendent Habermehl was appointed to replace his boss, Superintendent Dean, in a 4-0 vote.  At the time, Elizabeth Parker called Dean’s resignation a “selfless act” to allow the board to name his replacement, instead of leaving it to the voters to name his replacement.  Ken Williams abstained on the Habermehl appointment expressing his concern that the appointment would give Habermehl an unfair advantage with the power of incumbency without ever having run for the post.  (Parker and Williams are still on the board, but the other three members of the board are no longer in office.)

This appointment by the board with a pledge to run is reminiscent of El Dedazo used by the Partido Revolucionario Institucional or Institutional Revolutionary Party.  (The PRI, which held the Mexican Presidency for seven decades, allowed the incumbent president to appoint his party’s nominee to be the next president, who would invariably win the presidency.  The PRI stopped using El Dadazo in 1999, and promptly lost the 2000 presidential election, allowing another party to win the presidency for the first time in 72 years.)

If the Orange County Board of Education keeps appointing people to fill the post of Superintendent of Schools, instead of leaving it to the voters, perhaps, it is time for the post to be appointed, rather than elected, because the election is a farce.  The boards of local school districts all  appoint their superintendents.  The Los Angeles County Board of Education and San Diego County Board of Education both appoint their departments’ superintendents.

Government Code Sections 24000(k) and 24009(b) together permit the  Board of Supervisors to place a measure on the ballot to make the County Superintendent of Schools an appointed post.  The Orange County Board of Supervisors has already placed Measure A on the ballot to make the Orange County Public Administrator an appointed post, so in the next election, they could just as easily place a measure on the ballot to make the County Superintendent of Schools an appointed post.

(In the interest of full disclosure, Custom Campaigns is doing the consulting work on the County Board of Education campaigns of Ken Williams and Robert Hammond.  I have not discussed the Habermehl replacement process with either candidate since the news only broke yesterday.)

Posted in Orange County | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Bill Habermehl Retirement Details

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on May 3, 2012

The details have now been found on the retirement of Orange County Department of Education Superintendent Bill Habermehl. A press release has become available on the OCDE website:

ORANGE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS WILLIAM M. HABERMEHL ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, MAY 3, 2012 – At the Orange County Board of Education Meeting today, Orange County Superintendent of Schools, Bill Habermehl announced his retirement effective June 29, 2012.

“It has been a great honor and privilege to have served as superintendent of this exceptional county,” said Habermehl, who has been in public education for 45 years – the past 11 years as Orange County Superintendent of Schools. “I have had the opportunity in this position to work with outstanding staff, educators, board members, parents, and community members who are doing incredible work for the students of Orange County. I will miss everyone very much, but I know that I am leaving this office in good hands, and I am confident that our youngest citizens will continue to receive world-class educational services.”

Habermehl was appointed by the Orange County Board of Education in April 2001 and successfully stood for election in 2002, 2006, and again in 2010. Prior to serving as County Superintendent, he served in several positions at the Orange County Department of Education, including Director, Assistant Superintendent, and Associate Superintendent. He began his career as a science teacher and football coach in Garden Grove Unified School District, and he served as an administrator in Fullerton Joint Union High School District.

Under Bill’s leadership, he has supported the Orange County Department of Education to create or expand the development of many world-class educational programs, to name a few:

 Alternative, Community and Correctional Education Schools and Services (ACCESS)

 Community Home Education Program (CHEP)

 Inside the Outdoors

 Gift of History

 Institute for Character Education

 Interagency Autism Group (Early Intervention)

 Life Threatening Events Associated with Pediatric Sports (LEAPS)

 Orange County Animation Project

 Outstanding Contributions to Education Awards

 Spotlight on Education

In addition, Habermehl has served on various local and state boards and has been involved in numerous community organizations. He is an advocate of public education, speaking at many conferences and forums throughout the United States. Bill and his wife Holly are looking forward to spending time with their three married sons and their eight grandchildren.

Habermehl has a biography available for view on the Department of Education website that focuses on his work as a speaker, host, and moderator. It was not the easiest biography to find and it needs a bit of cleaning up, but that is a moot point now:

Bill Habermehl is the county superintendent of schools for Orange County California. With his wealth of experience at the local, state and national level he has developed an understanding of what an audience wants from an outstanding presentation.

Bill began his career as a science teacher and football coach in Orange County California and had such a positive influence on the lives of the students that years later his impact is still felt. Bill is actively involved with local business and community organizations. He serves on or is directly involved with over 35 boards. These include: the Orange County Business Council, United Way of Orange County, Discovery Science Center, the Ocean Institute, Drug Abuse is Life Abuse, Pretend City, Junior Achievement and many more. These contacts and experience have given him a wealth of stories and real life experiences that bring his public speaking to a new and exciting level.

Bill is a fantastic communicator with people of all ages and backgrounds. He engages his audience with a dynamic presentation made up of video clips, beautiful slides and sometimes infused with magic that keeps everyone on the edge of their seats. Bill has been writing monthly articles for a number of educational publications and has his own television show “Spotlight on Education” which focuses on current events and issues in education. Bill recently had the distinction of filling in as the closing keynote speaker when former President Bill Clinton was unable to do so at the national conference of the Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA).

Additionally, Bill is an inventor and has been honored with several prestigious awards:

  • Superintendent of Distinction Award bestowed by Pepperdine Univ. 2010
  • Power-Packed Philanthropist Award bestowed by the Orange County Community Foundation. 2011
  • PTA Honorary Service Award for outstanding community service to children & youth in a community bestowed. 2012

New for 2011! Bill recently finished his second book entitled: “From Dropout….to Diploma: the ACCESS Code to Student Success“. This exciting book shares the story of the program he started over 20 years ago which has saved literally hundreds of thousands of students from dropping out of school and going on to be successful in community colleges, universities and career technical programs. This fantastic book comes with a DVD highlighting the actual stories of five students and their teachers and support staff. This is a must read and see book! Bill’s presentation about turning around schools and dealing with at risk kids sets the stage for everyone wanting to make a difference for the students in their school or district. For more information and how to obtain your copy of the book please go to: book.dropouttodiploma.com

Having Bill Habermehl as a keynote speaker or moderator will bring new life and excitement to your program. You will find the testimonials and video clips of a few of his presentations will show you just how exciting he can be. With a little magic thrown in, everyone will walk away saying “WOW“

Habermehl was appointed to the post of County Superintendent of Public Instruction prior to the 2002 election taking over for John F. Dean. The policies in place back then are the same as the policies in place now, which lead to the ability of the County Board of Education to appoint a replacement instead of letting the voters decide.

If more information becomes available in the coming days we will continue to update our readers.

Posted in Orange County Board of Education | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

BREAKING NEWS: Orange County Superintendent Bill Habermehl Retiring

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on May 3, 2012

We here at OC Political have just become aware of Orange County Department of Education Superintendent Bill Habermehl announcing his retirement. The word on the street is that a replacement could be chosen by as early as the beginning of June.

We will follow-up with more information as it becomes available. Stay tuned for a post later with more information as well as a look back at the career of Habermehl.

Posted in Orange County Board of Education | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

 
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