O.C. Chairman Vasquez Said to Be Ready to Quit : Crisis: The beleaguered county supervisor leaves town for the weekend. His spokeswoman denies the reports.

SANTA ANA — Board Chairman Gaddi H. Vasquez has told close friends and confidants that he is going to resign from the Orange County Board of Supervisors, possibly as soon as the end of the month, sources said.

Vasquez announced six weeks ago that he would not seek reelection when his current term expires at the end of next year, but he has continued to complain bitterly about what he believes is unfair criticism of his role in the county’s bankruptcy crisis.

As speculation swirled in the Hall of Administration and among Republican leaders that his departure from office was imminent, Vasquez left town Friday, leaving behind his electronic pager so he could not be reached for comment, his staff said.

A spokeswoman for his office denied that Vasquez planned to step down early.

Some political insiders, however, said Vasquez made his intentions known to his staff this week.

“He did it in a small group, talked to his staff, and talked to his trusted henchmen,” said Buck Johns, a Republican political activist and member of the Lincoln Club.

In announcing June 14 that he would step down at the conclusion of his four-year term, Vasquez said he wanted to remove himself from public office so he could spend more time with his family and friends.

Vasquez has been a supervisor since 1987, when he was appointed by then-Gov. George Deukmejian to replace Bruce Nestande, who had resigned under a cloud.

Although he had become the target of a recall effort in recent weeks, Vasquez, Orange County’s highest-ranking Latino officeholder, has proven himself to be a prodigious fund-raiser who had accumulated more than $300,000 in his campaign war chest to fight off any challengers.

Those close to Vasquez said, however, that he was particularly disturbed that the recall effort was launched against him even though he declared that he would not seek reelection.

Once viewed as a raising star in the Republican Party, Vasquez’s reputation had been severely tarnished by the county’s financial debacle. When he declared that he wouldn’t run again, the 40-year-old politician admitted that the bankruptcy had taken an emotional and physical toll on him.

If Vasquez leaves office before his term expires, Gov. Pete Wilson would have the opportunity to appoint his replacement to the board.

Wilson spokesman Paul Kranhold said the governor would not “have any comment until Mr. Vasquez confirms” that he is resigning. Kranhold also declined to discuss any possible replacement.

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Among those mentioned as possible appointees to the seat were Assemblyman Mickey Conroy (R-Orange), who already had announced that he would run for Vasquez’s seat; Orange County Republican Party Chairman Tom Fuentes; Irvine Co. Vice President Gary Hunt, and former County Chief Executive Officer William J. Popejoy.

Several sources said that Vasquez plans to leave office by the end of the month.

One political associate of Vasquez, however, said the board chairman will remain in office through the adoption of the county’s budget in September.

“It wouldn’t be until mid-September that he would actually vacate the office,” the associate said. “That would give the governor ample opportunity to have a smooth transition and not leave a vacancy.”

Vasquez “long ago told the governor that he was going to leave” before his term expired, and provided a rough time frame, said the associate. In appointing someone to complete the remainder of Vasquez’ term, he said, the governor would likely favor “someone who is pledged not to run [for election] and let the campaign be open.”

The governor made clear this week that he attaches considerable importance to Orange County coming together in the next couple of weeks--politicians as well as business leaders--to reach a consensus plan on how to finally resolve the bankruptcy.

Although it remained unclear what Vasquez would do if he stepped down, some sources indicated that he might return in some capacity to the Orange Police Department, where he continues to serve as a reserve officer.

There has also been talk of his joining the presidential campaign of Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kansas).

Orange Police Lt. Timm Browne, a close friend of Vasquez, refused to confirm or deny if Vasquez had a job waiting for him at the department.

“I don’t know where Gaddi will end up, but whatever he does I personally believe that he will be a success,” Browne said.

Stan Oftelie, chief executive officer of the Orange County Transportation Authority, said he met with Vasquez this week and the supervisor seemed exhausted from the crisis.

“The last conversations I had with Gaddi, the personal toll was wearing on him greatly,” he said. “He’s always viewed himself as a public servant, whether as a staff guy or a police officer or a supervisor. The personal attacks were wearing on him. . . . It hurts him because he’s in it for public service.”

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When told of the board chairman’s impending departure, another top county official said Vasquez had simply grown tired of the constant barrage of criticism tossed his way.

“There’s criticism that’s both deserved and undeserved. The undeserved criticism continues at a steady pace,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “I think he realized that no matter what he does, the blind critics who do not want to see the pluses will never see the pluses, and it’s not worth the fight of making these blind people see the light.

“I’m going to hate to see him go,” the official said. “Even though the public does not want to give the supervisors any credit, there have been some major accomplishments since Dec. 6, and Gaddi has been at the helm.”

A spokesman for Supervisor Roger R. Stanton said he had “seen a lot of things pointing” toward Vasquez’s resignation, but that they had no official word. “We were hearing five days ago [rumors] that [Vasquez] would be leaving Monday,” said Rob Richardson, aide to Stanton.

One possible sign of his desire to give up his 3rd District supervisorial post was that Vasquez missed a July 26 deadline to respond to the recall petition, which means that it would contain no response from Vasquez if the petition made it to the ballot.

“We did not hear anything,” said Bev Warner, an official at the registrar of voters’ office. “He did not exercise the option that he has.”

Fullerton accountant Snow Hume said the Orange County Recalls Committee should have a final recall petition against the board chairman next week, just in case Vasquez doesn’t remove himself from office.

“The goal is to trash-can him,” Hume said Friday. “Of course, if he steps down we would tend to view this as a victory. I hope it’s true--but not until he actually steps down and there’s a vacancy will I believe it. . . . I don’t believe anything that he promises.”

Times staff writers Jodi Wilgoren and Rene Lynch contributed to this report.