Taxpayers Association Fires Vocal Perks Critic : Government: Executive Director Jere Robings says he feels betrayed. Board members contend that his attacks were overzealous.

The executive director of the Ventura County Taxpayers Assn. has been fired for being “too political” because of his outspoken criticisms during the controversy over the large financial perks paid to top county officials.

H. Jere Robings, who held the $30,000-a-year position for nearly four years, was told at a meeting Monday with several members of the association’s board of directors that he must step aside--effective at the end of the month.

Association President Lindsay Nielson, who attended the meeting, said members of the executive committee decided that Robings had become overzealous in his attacks on the officials.

“The executive committee met and decided that the direction that Jere was going in was not the direction that they wanted to go,” Nielson said. “It’s important for us to point out differences. But on occasion I think Jere took it a little too far.”

Robings, a longtime county resident and a retired manager with Southern California Edison, said Tuesday that he felt betrayed.

“We’ve had the best year the association has seen in a decade,” said Robings, 60. “But apparently that isn’t enough. I feel like my work hasn’t been appreciated.

“Some people have said that all I’ve done is close the doors to the county. Well, we’ve never had any access with the county to begin with.”

Top county officials tried on at least one occasion in recent years to persuade the taxpayer association’s board members to fire Robings, who has sharply criticized the county since it quietly adopted a series of lucrative perks in 1989.

Two years ago, Robings tried to force the county to release figures detailing how much money top officials were paid in extra benefits, but then-Auditor-Controller Norman R. Hawkes denied his request on the grounds that the numbers were private.

Then, in September, the county agreed to release the figures after the threat of a lawsuit by The Times. The figures showed that the top officials had received more than $270,000 for the three largest perks in 1991--a disclosure that sparked a barrage of complaints from Robings.

While Nielson hailed Robings’ determination in seeing the figures come to light, he said that he should have known when to stop.

Last month, members of the association began discussions on whether Robings should be fired after he wrote in the group’s monthly newsletter that the perks scandal made a “strong case” for term limits for county supervisors.

Robings also sharply disagreed with suggestions to restructure county pay by the citizens perks panel, which was formed by the supervisors after the controversy surfaced. The panel--which included Nielson--suggested that the county cut the perks of the top officials but raise their base salaries to buffer the blow.

Robings, however, believed that the compensation packages of the officials should be slashed. He stopped short of publicly criticizing the panel’s recommendations, he said, since Nielson had been a member of the advisory group.

Nielson said he heard rumors that Robings was considering running for the seat now held by Supervisor Maria VanderKolk--which Robings strongly denied. Nevertheless, group members became fearful that Robings might be using his position to launch a political campaign.

“To politicize and personalize things is not in our best interest,” Nielson said. “We should be an organization that reviews issues and makes recommendations.

“If you become political then your credibility is tarnished. I would like to see our committee structured as unbiased as possible. I would want the taxpayers association to be apolitical.”

Group member Norma Nick Taylor, who also attended the Monday meeting with Robings, agreed.

“We would like to be a watchdog group, but not necessarily attack anyone,” Taylor said. “I think the county will be very leery of talking to anyone that represents us until a little time passes.”

She said the group hopes to hire someone who is more diplomatic. She said the group wants someone to ask the officials “nice little questions” and give the impression that “we are not trying to get anyone into trouble.”

But the decision to fire Robings drew sharp criticism from one vocal member of the group.

Don Hollingsworth, who often joined Robings in his attacks on county perks, said the move sends a message to county officials that the association will back down on tough issues.

“This isn’t a taxpayers association,” Hollingsworth said. “This is a club. And Jere got fired for doing his job too well.”

“Now the county has won,” Robings added. He said he has another job lined up, but he would not disclose the details of the position.

The decision to fire Robings was greeted with both praise and criticism by county officials.

“I think the perk issue went further than some people wanted it to go,” said Supervisor John K. Flynn. “Jere was the scapegoat. Some officials hated him. You don’t usually like people who attack you publicly. You have to have pretty thick skin to take that.”

But Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury said: “I’ve always thought Jere has done a good job. My hunch is we haven’t heard the last of Jere Robings.”