Orange County State Aid

Gov. Pete Wilson on Tuesday ordered a special session of the state Legislature next week to consider a host of emergency measures aimed at helping Orange County recover from the worst governmental bankruptcy in U.S. history. Wilson said it was "important that we act together to resolve the Orange County situation and . . . to help Orange County shrink the size of government. Further, we need to ensure that this type of fiscal abuse does not happen again."

Orange County officials made their bankruptcy recovery pitch to state lawmakers again on Wednesday but were battered for failing to demonstrate sufficient remorse about the debacle and buffeted by criticism that their plans would hurt the poor and skirt environmental laws. County leaders responded by offering apologies during a two-hour hearing of the Assembly select committee that is reviewing the bankruptcy and would be the likely source for any bailout legislation.

Turning up the heat on Gov. Pete Wilson, a key state lawmaker warned Thursday that the Assembly may hold off on any legislation to help Orange County until the governor takes a position on what needs to be done. The chairwoman of the panel on the Orange County bankruptcy suggested that Wilson's oft-stated view that the county should solve its own problems has left some wondering whether the Assembly should take any action.

A state lawmaker Wednesday dropped several key bills designed to assist Orange County with its bankruptcy recovery plans, citing frustrations with the county's failure to provide information and assistance to push the measures quickly. Sen. William A. Craven (R-Oceanside), a moderate who had been among Orange County's strongest allies as it tries to climb out of its financial crisis, blasted the county in a letter to Chief Executive Officer William J. Popejoy.

Eager to mend fences with disgruntled state officials, Orange County Chief Executive Officer William J. Popejoy and his bankruptcy recovery team held a series of meetings Monday to continue the push for solutions. The meetings came on the heels of a troubling episode for the county last week, when Sen. William A. Craven (R-Oceanside) refused to continue pushing several key recovery bills because of irritation with the county's lack of help.

The Board of Supervisors has directed county officials to examine ways of receiving more tax revenues from the state. Orange County is considered a "donor county," meaning it sends more sales, business and property taxes to the state than it recovers in services and grants. Officials estimate that the imbalance is more than $1 billion a year. At its Dec.

For years, government leaders have complained that county taxpayers give the state much more money than they get back in services and grants. Now two officials are urging the county to do something about it. Supervisors Donald J. Saltarelli and Marian Bergeson will propose next week that the board seek changes in state law that would result in the county receiving a larger chunk of the property, business and sales taxes it sends to Sacramento.

At a special meeting today, the Board of Supervisors will discuss whether the county should seek state funds to help improve service at the assessor's office. Chief Executive Officer Jan Mittermeier has recommended that the county participate in the program, under which the state provides loans that allow counties to deal more efficiently with tax collections and assessment appeals. If a county reaches its "efficiency goal," it does not have to pay back the loan.

Hoping to reduce the backlog of property-tax assessment appeals, the Board of Supervisors voted last week to seek state funding to upgrade the property tax collection system. With the board's vote, county officials will begin discussion with the state Department of Finance about participating in the State-County Property Tax Administration Program.

Gov. Pete Wilson has signed a measure that will help save $10 million in state highway funding that had been jeopardized by the Orange County bankruptcy, the governor's office announced Monday. The bill, authored by state Sen. John R. Lewis (R-Orange), gives Orange County an additional year to start work on highway projects without giving up the state money that was supposed to be committed by last Friday.