To: Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Rex Bohn
Agenda Section: Initiated by Board Member
SUBJECT:
title
Consider Sending Letter of Opposition to AB 1608 (Gipson & Weber) Related to Consolidation of Offices of the Sheriff, Coroner and Public Administrator
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Authorize the Chair to sign the letter of opposition.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
General Fund
DISCUSSION:
AB1608 (Gibson & Weber) County Officers: Consolidation of Offices is a proposed bill that seeks to remove county Board of Supervisors authority to combine the duties of the Sheriff and Coroner, in direct conflict with California Government Code Section 24000 which lists the officers of county governments, and provides for the offices of Sheriff (subsection b), Public Administrator (subsection l) and Coroner (subsection m). Section 24305 provides that, for certain counties including Humboldt, the Board of Supervisors by ordinance may consolidate the duties of certain of the county offices in one or more of the following combinations: Public Administrator and Coroner, Sheriff and Coroner, and Sheriff, Coroner, and Public Administrator.
At least four times over the past 35 years, the Board of Supervisors has been faced with the question of whether it would be in the interest of the county to consolidate the offices of Sheriff and Coroner/Public Administrator, and has considered the potential benefits and cost savings while providing adequate staffing coverage and backup for a very small staff in the office of the Coroner. Prior to Jan. 30, 2015, Humboldt County was one of only 10 remaining counties in California that did not have a combined Sheriff-Coroner office.
Therefore, on Nov. 5, 2014, when elected Coroner-Public Administrator Dave Parris submitted to the County Administrative Officer a letter detailing his intent to resign from office, effective Jan. 30, 2015, the Board of Supervisors once again visited t...
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