Would you trust this guy? The O.C. Grand Jury doesn’t!
So is Orange County Public Administrator John S. Williams yet another O.C. Republican who talks like a conservative while he wastes public money?
Williams wrote a long response full of spin explaining himself, after the Orange County Grand Jury recently slammed him for mismanagement of public funds. Click here to read what Williams had to say for himself. As one might imagine, it is a load of B.S.
A more important document to consider is the Orange County Grand Jury Report about Williams and how he has screwed up royally and wasted our money. Click here to read that report. Here are a few excerpts from that report:
The Orange County Public Administrator/Public Guardian (PA/ PG) was the subject of a report by this Grand Jury, titled, The Guardian of Last Resort. After that report was published, on May 4, 2009, the Grand Jury received additional pertinent and compelling information regarding increasing management costs and additional inappropriate personnel practices. There are two significant events that are directly linked to findings contained in the original report. All of these actions are continuing to occur while Orange County is under severe financial stress, necessitating staff and service reductions. Consequently, this supplemental report adds further findings and recommendations based on the follow-up investigation conducted since the release of the original report.
At the time the PA/PG separated from the Health Care Agency in 2005, annualized hourly wages for individuals classified as managers amounted to $529,796. As of the end of May, 2009, the annualized hourly wages amounts to $1,156,002. This salary growth in the management category classification has now increased 118.2% over the last four years.
The redundancy caused with the addition of a second Chief Deputy position appears inappropriate. In January, 2008, a significant organizational change was made. PA/PG management stated, “We will no longer be using the working title of Chief Deputy Public Administrator-Public Guardian.” However, technically the chief deputy position was not eliminated from the department. After several questionable personnel changes, the PA/PG reinstated the Chief Deputy position in August, 2008. Since the prior Grand Jury report, the PA/PG has created a second Chief Deputy position, even though there does not appear to be a suitable organizational reason for taking that action. Prior Chief Deputies or Executive Managers had significant academic and/or legal experience in the operation of the PA/PG. Consequently, there was not a need for two Chief Deputies.
Williams is a hack – and I imagine that if the Grand Jury were to scrutinize all of the departments at the County of Orange they would find a ton of waste. I hope the next O.C. Grand Jury can keep up this fine investigative work!
Mr. Williams, a former County Marshal like another rather famous former OC Elected Official, insisted that his office be a free-standing organizational entity vs. being part of a larger agency or department within county government as had been the case for the previous 30 years or more. He and his conservative supporters convinced and wore down the Board of Supervisors to grant his department that status, making him a Department Head vs. being an Assisant Director in a larger department or agency. His demand for seperate status, and hanging on to the appointed (yes appointed, not elected) Public Guardian responsiblity telegraphed a ego-driven, expense rising future prone to cronyism. Seems the Grand Jury has simply discovered this reality. Maybe next they can look into just who and how Mr. Williams selects people to be appointed to administer and liquidate given estates. Follow the money.