IRVINE : Issue of Cronyism Raised by Mayor

Outgoing Mayor Sally Anne Sheridan says she was in the best position to make this politically loaded suggestion: Eliminate cronyism from city commissions.

City law allows the mayor and council members to appoint one member each to city commissions, which review everything from proposed cultural affairs programs to huge residential developments.

But allowing each council member to make appointments to the commissions tends to politicize the review bodies and leads to cronyism or appearances of cronyism when council members appoint friends and campaign donors, Sheridan said.

“Many residents of Irvine with demonstrated expertise have told me of their desire to serve but feel they would be wasting their time to apply for consideration,” Sheridan said Tuesday. “They believe our commission appointments are based solely on political favors or friendships.”

A better process would be for the city to accept applications for commission vacancies and let the council vote as a whole on whom to appoint to the commissions, Sheridan said. That process would help to “get rid of some of the cronyism I see and have seen” with commission appointments, she said.

Sheridan, who has long served on city commissions as a political appointee before being elected to the council and to the mayor’s seat, said she was the best one to suggest the change because she is not running for reelection and has nothing to gain.

“I think I’m going to go down in flames on this one,” but the idea deserves to be brought up, she said.

Sheridan’s council colleagues reacted coldly to the idea.

“Mayor Sheridan,” Councilman Bill Vardoulis said, “you are very perceptive in saying this will go down in flames.”

To assume that council members appoint commissioners based on political favors “is alarming,” Vardoulis said. “The bulk of my commissioners were not involved in my campaign. They were smart.”

Councilwoman Paula Werner, who often is the minority vote on council decisions, said letting the majority of the council make commission appointments would tend to dilute the voice of council members in the political minority. Also, the current council should not dictate how the future council appoints its commissioners, she said.

Councilman Barry J. Hammond agreed, saying the current process serves minority council members and allows council members to have a trusted voice and ear on each of the commissions.

Without anyone to back her up, Sheridan chose not to bring her suggestion to a vote. “Let’s move on,” she said.