Board Names New Head of LAFCO : Development: James J. Colangelo is appointed to head the commission that rules on city incorpo- rations.

The board of the agency that oversees incorporations in Los Angeles County on Wednesday chose a replacement for its outgoing executive officer, appointing the current head of Orange County’s corresponding agency.

James J. Colangelo, 34, will take over the reins of the Los Angeles Local Agency Formation Commission at the beginning of next year when the current executive officer, Ruth Benell, retires.

The agency has been a key player in the development of northern Los Angeles County in the 1980s, ruling on the incorporation requests of Santa Clarita and Calabasas in recent years.

“I want to get in there and figure out what the key projects are right now and get started,” said Colangelo, who said he was surprised that the board made its decision so swiftly.

Colangelo, who has led Orange County LAFCO since 1988, was one of nine people who responded to the Los Angeles agency’s advertisement in mid-September. The seven-member board Wednesday interviewed three finalists for the post and made its decision shortly afterward.

“There was no question in anybody’s mind that this was a very qualified candidate, and if we delayed, what would be the purpose?” said Tom Jackson, chairman of the LAFCO board and a Huntington Park city councilman.

Colangelo had been Orange County LAFCO’s assistant executive officer for two years before taking the top post, and his experience gave him the edge over other applicants, said Ed Edelman, a board member and a county supervisor.

LAFCOs are established by the state to rule on incorporations and annexations. In the 1980s, many residents in the Santa Clarita Valley and Las Virgenes areas accused the agency of being obstructionist and of attempting to discourage or block cityhood efforts. Benell was often the target of such criticism.

Benell leaves in two months after 21 years as LAFCO’s executive officer, and longtime executive assistant Michi Takahashi leaves in March. Benell’s impending departure prompted the board to act quickly, Edelman said.

“He has a good grasp of the problems and an ability to see the importance of his role in informing the commission of its responsibilities and options,” Edelman said.

The other two finalists for the post, which has an annual salary of $75,000, were David Czamanske, a South Pasadena-based government consultant, and Robert Braitman, a Ventura annexation consultant and former head of Ventura County LAFCO, Takahashi said.

During Colangelo’s five years as head of Orange County LAFCO, five cities incorporated: Dana Point, Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills and Lake Forest.

Most recently, Colangelo launched a study to judge how well special districts in Orange County provide water, sewer and park services. The effort began in July as the state cut revenue to local government and as reports of profligate spending and apparent conflicts of interests surfaced in Orange County’s most powerful special district, the Santa Margarita Water District in Mission Viejo.

Colangelo, a native of Lynwood and a graduate of USC, said that even with the study on incorporating special districts, “it’s slowed down here, and I need new challenges.”