San Benito County’s new interim county counsel will preside over
his first Board of Supervisors meeting this morning after the Board
asked him less than two weeks ago to replace County Counsel Karen
Forcum.
Hollister – San Benito County’s new interim county counsel will preside over his first Board of Supervisors meeting this morning after the Board asked him less than two weeks ago to replace County Counsel Karen Forcum.
Claude Biddle, 65, is a retired lawyer from Auburn who has worked for years as a city attorney and county counsel. On Monday, he began what county staff estimate should be about a six-month tenure with the county. Biddle will fill the position until the board finds a suitable permanent county counsel, which should take no more than a year according to reports.
Biddle was contacted about the interim position through Public Service Skills, a group of retired city and county employees who will accept short-term appointments, he said.
“My name came up for this one, and (my wife and I) liked it so much here that it’s like a working vacation,” Biddle said with a laugh. “At least for her.”
Biddle worked for 36 years as a city attorney and county counsel in Auburn, Grass Valley, Colusa, Paradise, Santa Ana, and Sutter before retiring a year ago.
Along with the board of supervisors’ regular agendas, Biddle will also have a long list of lawsuits to familiarize himself with, and quickly. The county is currently the target of 10 active lawsuits, which Biddle said he had been made aware of Monday afternoon. Still, he said, he isn’t worried about the suits or his ability to handle them.
“It’s a little late now,” he joked.
Biddle will continue to reside in Auburn, but will live in San Benito County during the week, according to staff reports. In addition to the $9,700 a month salary for the position, he will also receive up to $4,500 a month for insurance, social security and living expenses of having a second residence in San Benito County.
The Board of Supervisors fired its previous county counsel, Karen Forcum on March 22 after agreeing in February to offer her a six-month extension on her employment with the county. The previous board of supervisors had voted to extend Forcum’s contract another four years in August, but the new board decided to ask her to step down by April 8.
Jessica Quandt covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach her at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or at jq*****@fr***********.com.
