Who’s in Charge?
Staff editorial

How do approximately 140 Mission Viejo city employees manage to look busy when many of them have no real jobs? They brainstorm until someone says, “Let’s break a world record by having the longest photo gallery in history!” Another says, “Let’s enter a float in the Rose Parade!” Another one says, “Let’s make a career of the few projects we have. We can take years widening Crown Valley Parkway!”

A responsible city council would react badly to all the above. But Mission Viejo doesn’t have a responsible council, and they’re not in charge anyway. The employees run the city. The administrative staff makes decisions and occasionally allows the council to approve what staff members decide.

The city of Mission Viejo as a small-government model is broken. Incorporated in 1988, this contract-based city would, in theory, never require a large city staff. City Hall had 86 employees in 1997 when Mission Viejo was nearly built out (population approaching 90,000). While the number of residents inched up slowly, the number of city employees grew dramatically, now at approximately 140 FTE. If the staff had increased proportionately with the population (currently 98,000), the city would now have 94 employees. With no housing developments, business centers, roads, etc., being built, essential work at city hall continues to diminish.

In comparison with Mission Viejo, the city of Rancho Santa Margarita has fewer than 20 permanent employees and a population of approximately 50,000. That’s not comparing apples to apples, but the contrast is stark. Clearly, Rancho doesn’t have the same mentality as Mission Viejo, where staff members create make-work projects and the council approves new hires.

Following build-out, Mission Viejo’s staff should have stopped growing as the city shifted from building to maintaining infrastructure. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that city planners and engineers are encouraging new, high-density housing projects that residents don’t want. Otherwise, engineers can end up stapling photos on easels at the city’s record-breaking photo display.

Those who read the endless schedule of city-sponsored events are amazed at the sheer number of taxpayer-funded activities. A few events are appropriate and appreciated, as demonstrated by large crowds. In a city with 98,000 residents, a good turnout would be thousands of people. Instead, many city-sponsored activities are poorly attended. With too many staff members and no real jobs, the make-work activities are plentiful but poorly conceived. After running out of ideas for legitimate government services, the city has involved itself in teaching parenting, coining logos and wasting a great deal of staff time to promote “character” words.

Residents who know something’s wrong see a lack of leadership on the council to stop the insanity. City staffers have effectively diverted the attention of council members by engaging them in worthless activities. Those easiest to fool attend every program, event, non-event and activity in town instead of going through the check register or noting which city staffers actually have jobs.

Mission Viejo activists haven’t worked together in years to improve the cast of council characters. The activists continue to be united on ideals but at war over candidates. The November 2008 election is shaping up as another high-stakes, nasty battle with at least seven residents running or posturing to run. Maybe it’s time for activists to reunite on electing reform-minded leaders instead of splitting the vote and changing nothing.