(a) If the county has not filed a plan of adjustment with the bankruptcy court by January 1, 1996, the Governor may appoint an individual to serve as trustee of the county. The appointment may occur at any time after January 1, 1996, until confirmation of the plan. Notwithstanding the timely filing of a plan of adjustment, the Governor shall appoint a trustee if the Governor determines that, as of May 1, 1996, or any date thereafter, the parties specified below have failed to reach substantial agreement on the terms of the plan of adjustment and the timely confirmation of the plan appears unlikely. Before reaching the foregoing determination, the Governor or his or her designee shall first consult with (1) the specified county officers and the board of supervisors, (2) the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of the County of Orange appointed in the pending case, and (3) the Official Committee of Investment Pools Participants appointed in the investment pools case. The trustee is a public official of the state and shall serve at the pleasure of, and is responsible to, the Governor.

(b) The trustee shall have recognized expertise in management and public finance.

(c) The trustee may institute a financial plan for the county if the county fails to present a balanced budget.

(d) In implementing a financial plan for the county, the trustee may exercise all necessary and appropriate powers of the county board of supervisors, subject to the same legal limitations that apply to the board of supervisors.

(e) The trustee shall exercise the powers granted pursuant to this chapter for an emergency period that ends upon the adoption, after the appointment of the trustee, of two consecutive balanced final budgets and achievement of two positive audited fund balances, as determined by the Governor or his or her designee.

(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 745, Sec. 102. Effective October 12, 2001.)