An unceremonious deWilliamsization of a County office

Guardian no more, thank God

     Kimberly Edds of OC Watchdog (Williams stripped of public guardian role) reports that

     Orange County Public Administrator John S. Williams was unceremoniously stripped of public guardian duties Tuesday. The vote came without a word of protest from Williams or one of vindication from the Board of Supervisors.
     Williams himself was a no-show.
     The county is overhauling the struggling Public Administrator/Public Guardian, which has been hit repeatedly with accusations of mismanagement, dubious promotions, and questions about how it handles the affairs of Orange County’s ill and elderly who have no one else to care for them and the estates of those who die without legal heirs.
. . .
     A months-long county investigation revealed “serious concerns,” which prompted the removal of Williams as public guardian among other changes. Supervisors accused Williams, a former Orange County marshal, of being unqualified and called for his immediate resignation.
     The county tried to negotiate with Williams for an early departure from his position as both the appointed public guardian and the elected public administrator but after weeks of negotiating he refused to step down. He remains the county’s elected public administrator, a position the board cannot take from him and one he says he will hold until he retires on Jan. 23, 2012.
     His term expires in January 2014.
     A new public guardian is scheduled to be in place April 14 to head the newly created Orange County Public Guardian Department. That person, who will also be responsible for overhauling the culture of the troubled Public Administrator’s Department and make immediate personnel and policy changes, will report to the county’s chief executive officer.
     Williams has pledged to work with the new public guardian to implement those reforms.
     “It was not unexpected,” said Williams’ private attorney Phil Greer of the vote. “It will be interesting to see how they facilitate managing the operation.”
. . .
     Longtime county watchdog Shirley Grindle has already put the Board of Supervisors on notice that giving Williams pay for a job which he is not doing — and is not allowed to do — would constitute an illegal gift of funds. The Watchdog has a call into the county and we’ll let you know what we hear.
. . .
     A series of other personnel changes are expected in the office as a result of the county’s investigation. The exact findings of the investigation remain under wraps under the county’s claim of attorney-client privilege. It is unclear whether the report will be made public….

Jackass and jackass

     Total Buzz reports Chriss Street's new gig (Chriss Street turns part-time pundit; OC Reg). But they bring up Street's curious record facing charges of fraud:

     …Meanwhile, [former OC Treasurer Chriss] Street’s successor as Fruehauf trustee, Los Angeles money manager Dan Harrow, sued Street alleging fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. In March 2010, just as Street was preparing to run for re-election, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Richard M. Neiter ordered Street to pay $7 million for breach of fiduciary duty.
     In a harshly worded ruling, Neiter described Street’s explanations for his conduct as “absurd” and “inconceivable.”….

     Note: Street in part blames his attorney, Phil Greer, for the outcome of the above-mentioned case.