A Democrat-led effort to rewrite San Diego County’s charter now faces some counter-programming.
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In an alternative ballot measure proposal, Republican Supervisor Joel Anderson is calling for the removal of some more controversial parts of the charter overhaul being pushed by Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer — namely the extension of term limits for sitting supervisors.
Under Anderson’s ballot measure, sitting supervisors would be exempted from her proposal to let them serve three four-year terms, instead of the current two. Only future supervisors could take advantage of the new three-term limit.
In an interview, Anderson — who has long opposed term limits in general — called Lawson-Remer’s push to extend them “self-serving” and a “power grab.”
The Republican said he agrees with many elements of her package but wants to remove any appearance of a charter rewrite that benefits sitting supervisors.
“All the bells and whistles that people complained were self-serving are removed,” Anderson said. “I would think that everybody, including my colleagues who want good government, would see the value in what I’ve done.”
Lawson-Remer criticized Anderson’s counter-proposal in a statement on Monday, saying he was bucking the wishes of a coalition of nonprofits, labor unions and community leaders who want a new charter.
“Residents asked for real reform, real oversight and real accountability,” she said. “These amendments keep the title of reform but hollow out many of the parts that would actually make government answer to the public.”
Lawson-Remer’s Democratic allies on the board, Supervisors Paloma Aguirre and Monica Montgomery Steppe, did not return a request for comment.
Republican Supervisor Jim Desmond was still reviewing Anderson’s proposal before weighing in, said Darren Gretler, his chief of staff.
Last month, supervisors voted 3-2 along party lines to place Lawson-Remer’s sweeping overhaul of county government on the November ballot.
At its core, Lawson-Remer’s charter overhaul would, if passed, hand supervisors more power to exert control over the county’s bureaucracy.
Apart from extending term limits for supervisors, her proposed changes to the charter would allow supervisors to confirm and impeach a host of top county bureaucrats. They would also create new budget and auditor offices responsive to supervisors rather than to the chief administrative officer, the county’s top bureaucrat.
Lawson-Remer is the Democratic supervisor with the most to gain politically in the near term. Currently, she’s termed out of office in 2028 — but if voters approved her measure, she could run for a third term and if elected serve until 2032.
Anderson is the only other supervisor termed out in 2028.
To get the charter rewrite on the ballot, supervisors must vote on Lawson-Remer’s ballot measure one more time. That vote is slated for May 19.
But now supervisors will have to decide between Lawson-Remer’s measure and Anderson’s.
“The question may be, do they ramrod theirs through without an honest and open debate, or do they bring mine up so we have a chance to have an honest and open debate?” Anderson said.
How a future Board of Supervisors might wield the power of a new charter — especially expanded confirmation and impeachment powers — worries Anderson, too.
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“I may trust the group of people now to have that kind of power, but I don’t trust the next group of people,” he said.
Since being announced Friday, Anderson’s counter-proposal has won support from a bipartisan group of countywide elected officials: District Attorney Summer Stephan, an independent, Sheriff Kelly Martinez, a Democrat, and Assessor Jordan Marks, a Republican.
Stephan, who’s clashed with Lawson-Remer in recent months over a new county consumer protection office, called her proposed charter changes unethical.
“These changes should benefit the community, not the personal interests of elected officials,” she said in a statement.
In her own statement, Martinez struck a more conciliatory tone, saying she appreciates Lawson-Remer’s attempt to reform county government.
“I believe the changes made in Supervisor Anderson’s proposal make sense,” Martinez said. “He maintains 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.”
For Marks, Anderson’s measure was “balanced, thoughtful and more responsive to the concerns raised by many in the community.”
Term limits aren’t all that Anderson’s proposal has in his sights. He also wants to remove the confirmation process for top county jobs, arguing it over-politicizes county staff.
If confirmation hearings expand, Anderson warned county bureaucracy could become more like the federal government, where cabinet posts and other key roles in the civil service turn over with every new presidential administration.
“You could have the county whipsawed, where all these employees don’t feel safe. If you don’t feel safe, do you perform well on the job?” Anderson said.
Lawson-Remer has proposed new positions of budget analysts and auditors to be appointed by the supervisors.
But Anderson wants those new roles — which could give supervisors reports and analysis on the county’s budget and programs — to be elected, not appointed.
His proposal also removes language included in Lawson-Remer’s plan calling for eventual term limits on other county elected positions like sheriff, district attorney, treasurer-tax collector and assessor.
In her statement on Monday, Lawson-Remer called Stephan, Martinez and Marks a group of “powerful insiders” and said Anderson’s proposal would deny voters the chance to weigh in on term limits for their offices.
Her charter proposal ballot measure wouldn’t actually place term limits on those positions, as term limits for them are not currently allowed under state law. Rather, it calls for a three-term limit “where allowed by law.”
In an interview last month, Lawson-Remer said she doesn’t plan to lobby the state to amend the law either.
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