As far as Jeff Stone was concerned, Riverside County supervisors' decision to make quarries eligible for fast-track review wasn't merely bad public policy, but also a violation of an "unwritten rule."
He was talking about a general practice of letting the local supervisor take the lead on a major land-use issue arising within his district.
"I ask my fellow supervisors to please keep our unwritten rule to allow each supervisor to lead or oppose efforts in each of our respective districts," Stone said.
By that, Stone meant he, not Supervisor John Benoit of the Palm Springs area, should have been the one to introduce ---- or not introduce ---- the newly approved measure that could lead to a quick approval for Granite Construction Co.'s proposed Liberty Quarry near Temecula.
Stone asserted that Benoit's predecessor wouldn't have intervened in perhaps the most controversial issue ever to hit Southwest County's 3rd District.
"I had a great working relationship with former Supervisor Roy Wilson, may he rest in peace," Stone said in a Sept. 25 meeting. "I don't believe Supervisor Roy Wilson would have this agenda item forcing his will on my constituents without my blessing."
Unwritten though it may be, former officials said, the deference rule has been in place many years in Riverside County.
"I never saw the memo that explained the unwritten rule," said Larry Parrish of Rancho Mirage, who served as the county's chief executive 16 years. "It's not in the manual."
And it's certainly not a law, said former Supervisor Norton Younglove of Riverside, who was on the Board of Supervisors for 24 years.
Nevertheless, Parrish said the board long has had a practice of letting a supervisor make a motion on an agenda item concerning a project in his or her area.
Most of the time the courtesy extends to votes, too, said Younglove, who served from 1971 through 1994.
World's greatest idea
"The concept is really more that, 'If it's in my district, you follow the lead on my vote,'" Younglove said. "You'll go along with it and approve it even if you don't think it's the world's greatest idea."
So Benoit's fast-track initiative appeared to run counter to the long-standing practice.
"I don't think it's bad or wrong or anything," Younglove said. "But it is unusual."
Riverside is hardly the only county with a practice of deferring to local supervisors.
The rule is in wide use in Orange County. And it was on full display last week when supervisors there voted unanimously to approve a controversial 65-home development in the Santa Ana Mountain foothills.
The courtesy was cited before that vote by Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson, not to be confused with retired Temecula City Manager Shawn Nelson.
"First and foremost, the way our system works here, I don't represent this district," Nelson said. "Yeah, I represent the county. That's true. But this isn't my back yard. Supervisor (Bill) Campbell represents these folks. And it's really his issue to deal with."
Jack Pitney, a government professor for Claremont-McKenna College near Los Angeles, said it is particularly common for the local supervisor to lead the way in Los Angeles County.
"County supervisors are just as territorial as German shepherds," Pitney said.
Preventing nuclear war
Steve Erie, a political science professor at UC San Diego, said the practice is widespread throughout Southern California.
"That sort of hometown privilege is jealously guarded in many places," Erie said. "It's all about preventing nuclear war among supervisors. ... The minute you violate that unspoken rule, that unwritten rule, you invite retaliation. And then things go from bad to worse."
Opponents of Liberty Quarry already have suggested Stone retaliate for Benoit's fast-track initiative by promoting an unpopular jail or solar power plant near Palm Springs.
For his part, Benoit said Thursday that he isn't worried about retaliation for his initiative, which was given final approval last Tuesday with a 3-2 vote.
"I'm going to trust that Supervisor Stone, who is obviously very emotionally involved in this ... is nevertheless going to be fair and objective in evaluating future projects, wherever they happen to be," Benoit said.
Benoit dismissed the suggestion he violated Stone's turf.
The former state lawmaker said he intends to follow Stone's lead on the Wine Country Community Plan, a blueprint for expanding the winery region, when it reaches the board. That, he said, is an issue that primarily affects Southwest County and Stone is the board member with the expertise on the topic.
But Benoit said Liberty Quarry is different.
A regional, not local project
"This is an economic issue, an air quality issue and a traffic issue that extends well beyond his district," Benoit said.
He reiterated earlier comments that the project would improve the air and thin freeway traffic through much of Riverside County, because most of the quarry's material would go to the San Diego market and would be trucked from just south of Temecula instead of Corona.
Benoit said air quality also would benefit from Granite's obligation to provide cleaner trucks than the ones that now haul gravel from other quarries.
Benoit, who chairs the Riverside County Transportation Commission, also said Liberty Quarry's presence would cut costs for local road projects, because construction materials would be available close by.
"The primary driver of the cost of aggregate is how far it has to be transported," he said.
The lone supervisor to side with Stone on the fast-track matter was Bob Buster, who represents Canyon Lake, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar and a large chunk of the city of Riverside.
Dave Stahovich, Buster's chief of staff, termed the vote on the matter unfortunate.
But, Stahovich said, "This is not unprecedented. Bob has been on the short end of 4-1 votes on land use matters within his district."
So has San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob. Take August, for example, when that board approved a wind farm in her rural east county district despite her opposition.
"Having served the 2nd District for almost 20 years, I think my colleagues recognize that I know my district best and they weigh my views before making a decision that affects my constituents," Jacob said. "But in the end, whether it's a land use item or another issue, each supervisor has to weigh the facts and vote their conscience."
That means votes don't always go the local supervisor's way, said San Diego County Supervisor Bill Horn. And he suggested that's the way it should be.
"This is not a fiefdom," Horn said.
He was talking about a general practice of letting the local supervisor take the lead on a major land-use issue arising within his district.
"I ask my fellow supervisors to please keep our unwritten rule to allow each supervisor to lead or oppose efforts in each of our respective districts," Stone said.
By that, Stone meant he, not Supervisor John Benoit of the Palm Springs area, should have been the one to introduce ---- or not introduce ---- the newly approved measure that could lead to a quick approval for Granite Construction Co.'s proposed Liberty Quarry near Temecula.
Stone asserted that Benoit's predecessor wouldn't have intervened in perhaps the most controversial issue ever to hit Southwest County's 3rd District.
"I had a great working relationship with former Supervisor Roy Wilson, may he rest in peace," Stone said in a Sept. 25 meeting. "I don't believe Supervisor Roy Wilson would have this agenda item forcing his will on my constituents without my blessing."
Unwritten though it may be, former officials said, the deference rule has been in place many years in Riverside County.
"I never saw the memo that explained the unwritten rule," said Larry Parrish of Rancho Mirage, who served as the county's chief executive 16 years. "It's not in the manual."
And it's certainly not a law, said former Supervisor Norton Younglove of Riverside, who was on the Board of Supervisors for 24 years.
Nevertheless, Parrish said the board long has had a practice of letting a supervisor make a motion on an agenda item concerning a project in his or her area.
Most of the time the courtesy extends to votes, too, said Younglove, who served from 1971 through 1994.
World's greatest idea
"The concept is really more that, 'If it's in my district, you follow the lead on my vote,'" Younglove said. "You'll go along with it and approve it even if you don't think it's the world's greatest idea."
So Benoit's fast-track initiative appeared to run counter to the long-standing practice.
"I don't think it's bad or wrong or anything," Younglove said. "But it is unusual."
Riverside is hardly the only county with a practice of deferring to local supervisors.
The rule is in wide use in Orange County. And it was on full display last week when supervisors there voted unanimously to approve a controversial 65-home development in the Santa Ana Mountain foothills.
The courtesy was cited before that vote by Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson, not to be confused with retired Temecula City Manager Shawn Nelson.
"First and foremost, the way our system works here, I don't represent this district," Nelson said. "Yeah, I represent the county. That's true. But this isn't my back yard. Supervisor (Bill) Campbell represents these folks. And it's really his issue to deal with."
Jack Pitney, a government professor for Claremont-McKenna College near Los Angeles, said it is particularly common for the local supervisor to lead the way in Los Angeles County.
"County supervisors are just as territorial as German shepherds," Pitney said.
Preventing nuclear war
Steve Erie, a political science professor at UC San Diego, said the practice is widespread throughout Southern California.
"That sort of hometown privilege is jealously guarded in many places," Erie said. "It's all about preventing nuclear war among supervisors. ... The minute you violate that unspoken rule, that unwritten rule, you invite retaliation. And then things go from bad to worse."
Opponents of Liberty Quarry already have suggested Stone retaliate for Benoit's fast-track initiative by promoting an unpopular jail or solar power plant near Palm Springs.
For his part, Benoit said Thursday that he isn't worried about retaliation for his initiative, which was given final approval last Tuesday with a 3-2 vote.
"I'm going to trust that Supervisor Stone, who is obviously very emotionally involved in this ... is nevertheless going to be fair and objective in evaluating future projects, wherever they happen to be," Benoit said.
Benoit dismissed the suggestion he violated Stone's turf.
The former state lawmaker said he intends to follow Stone's lead on the Wine Country Community Plan, a blueprint for expanding the winery region, when it reaches the board. That, he said, is an issue that primarily affects Southwest County and Stone is the board member with the expertise on the topic.
But Benoit said Liberty Quarry is different.
A regional, not local project
"This is an economic issue, an air quality issue and a traffic issue that extends well beyond his district," Benoit said.
He reiterated earlier comments that the project would improve the air and thin freeway traffic through much of Riverside County, because most of the quarry's material would go to the San Diego market and would be trucked from just south of Temecula instead of Corona.
Benoit said air quality also would benefit from Granite's obligation to provide cleaner trucks than the ones that now haul gravel from other quarries.
Benoit, who chairs the Riverside County Transportation Commission, also said Liberty Quarry's presence would cut costs for local road projects, because construction materials would be available close by.
"The primary driver of the cost of aggregate is how far it has to be transported," he said.
The lone supervisor to side with Stone on the fast-track matter was Bob Buster, who represents Canyon Lake, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar and a large chunk of the city of Riverside.
Dave Stahovich, Buster's chief of staff, termed the vote on the matter unfortunate.
But, Stahovich said, "This is not unprecedented. Bob has been on the short end of 4-1 votes on land use matters within his district."
So has San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob. Take August, for example, when that board approved a wind farm in her rural east county district despite her opposition.
"Having served the 2nd District for almost 20 years, I think my colleagues recognize that I know my district best and they weigh my views before making a decision that affects my constituents," Jacob said. "But in the end, whether it's a land use item or another issue, each supervisor has to weigh the facts and vote their conscience."
That means votes don't always go the local supervisor's way, said San Diego County Supervisor Bill Horn. And he suggested that's the way it should be.
"This is not a fiefdom," Horn said.
Call staff writer Dave Downey at 951-676-4315, ext. 2623.
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