The Apartment Association of Orange County (AAOC) is proud to announce the selection of Orange County Supervisor Bill Campbell as our 2007 Elected Official of the Year.

Supervisor Campbell shares AAOC's commitment to a strong business community, free enterprise, and private property rights.  The Supervisor's consistent support of these values has earned him this very special AAOC award.

Supervisor Campbell was first elected to represent the Third Supervisorial District in January of 2003.  The Third District includes the cities of Brea, Irvine, Orange, Tustin, Villa Park, Yorba Linda, the Anaheim Hills area, as well as the unincorporated areas of North Tustin, Orange Park Acres and Orange County's canyon communities.  Previously Supervisor Campbell served in the State Assembly from 1996 to 2002, representing the 71st Assembly District.  Supervisor Campbell served as Assembly Minority Leader, Vice Chairman of the prestigious Committee on Appropriations and was a member of the Banking and Finance Committee, the Education Committee, and the Utilities and Commerce Committee.

During his time as Supervisor, Mr. Campbell has produced a long record of accomplishments that have led to the improvement of Orange County.  Some of the accomplishments most relevant to AAOC include:

Took the lead in refinancing the County's bankruptcy debt resulting in $505.3 million in debt service savings. The County's debt restructuring plan was hailed by Wall Street investors and featured in the Bond Buyer newspaper as the "Deal of the Year".

Advocated for the passage of Measure A, the successful countywide anti-Kelo initiative.

Supported the change in the culture of the County Code Enforcement Division from one that was proactive to one that was reactive, thus ensuring that property owners would not fall victim to overzealous bureaucrats.

One of the lead advocates in the effort to improve Orange County transportation as a chief proponent for the passage of Measure M and 241 toll road extension.

Spearheaded an agreement between the Orange County Sheriff's Department and the Department of Homeland Security to train deputies to conduct a full review of the immigration status of prison inmates before their release.

One reason for Supervisor Campbell's success as a County Supervisor is his background as an entrepreneur.  Having run a business of his own, Mr. Campbell knows how important it is to prevent government from stifling the creativity of the business community.

Winston Churchill once joked about government's view toward business, "Some see private enterprise as the predatory target to be shot, others as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as the sturdy horse pulling the wagon."

Fortunately for business owners like the members of AAOC, Supervisor Bill Campbell is one of the few who recognize the important role entrepreneurs play in moving our county forward and knows that their role should not be taken for granted.

Because of Supervisor Campbell's efforts, Orange County will remain a place that values a strong business climate and respects private property rights, and it is also why he is AAOC's 2007 Elected Official of the Year.