Current Yorba Linda City Council ignores sage advice about 'bloodletting'; ousts opponents

One of the more interesting documents from Yorba Linda's past – minutes from the final meeting of the committee that worked for the city's incorporation – is relevant today because of the sage advice given the soon-to-be-installed members of the first City Council.

Residents have been clear beneficiaries when the counsel has been followed, but, when ignored, political considerations have mattered most, with a climate of payback for opponents and their supporters influencing some decision-making.

The advice was simple: avoid blood-letting, as delivered by attorney Jim Erickson, who provided services for the Steering Committee for Incorporation and was named the first city attorney. It came during the committee's final session on Oct. 26, 1967.

Present were all five newly elected council members, other committee members and Erickson, who outlined procedures for launching the county's 25^th city. The meeting's minutes noted: “Mr. Erickson stressed the importance of the council presenting a solid front. It is important that there be no public blood-letting and dissension.”

Indeed, the members of that first body took his advice and set up a rotation policy, so all members would serve in the largely honorary mayoral post, despite their diverse views.

Proposed by Councilman Bill Ross, the plan was for each member to serve six months as mayor and vice mayor in order of vote totals in the 1967 election until all seats would again be on the 1970 ballot.

Most councils have followed that pattern for one-year terms with minor exceptions, but lately, councils have engaged in political payback by eliminating members on the short end of 3-2 and 4-1 divisions from the rotation for a post that signs documents and performs ceremonial duties.

Erickson also advised establishing a planning commission and other citizen advisory committees to deal with oil problems, beautification and parks and recreation “as an excellent way of involving more people in city government.”

The planning panel was formed first, followed by the parks and recreation, traffic and library commissions, along with several single-issue committees. In 47 years, only a half-dozen members were fired from these positions.

But the current council, on a 4-1 vote, changed all commission terms to expire shortly after council elections and vacated all positions – no matter when they were set to expire – and reappointed some members and dropped others.

If future councils follow this unwelcome precedent, expect biennial blood-lettings whenever the council complexion changes and new office-holders decide they don't want opponents to serve on city bodies.

Finally, another piece of Erickson's advice to the new council members: “As a general rule, reporters ask questions that would be embarrassing to the council or they raise issues that will sell papers. Smile a lot and don't say much. Cities are a particular target of newspapers.”