The Board of Supervisors is showing remarkable good sense when
it comes to hiring a new leader for San Benito County.
The Board of Supervisors is showing remarkable good sense when it comes to hiring a new leader for San Benito County.
After burning through three county administrative officers this year, the current board has made the wise decision to pass the hiring duties on to the board that will be seated in January.
The Board of Supervisors’ track record when it comes to hiring for this demanding and important position is lousy: After Gil Solorio resigned in January, the board hired Terry May who left the post abruptly in June after an argument with a supervisor. Then, the board hired Dan Vrtis. Three months later, Vrtis, behind closed doors, was asked to resign for reasons the supervisors have yet to make public. Now, Solorio is back, in a interim role.
Earlier this week, the supervisors allocated $30,000 for outside help to recruit a new county leader. The search will begin soon, but the current board made it clear they will leave the final decision on a replacement to the new supervisors.
That’s good news, given the problems this board has had keeping people around.
We wish it wouldn’t cost so much to find a new leader, but supervisors probably have dug themselves a hole by creating so much instability at the top and need the money to get themselves out. The instability has likely made the job less attractive to potential candidates and the county will have to cast a wide net to find a qualified leader. And a qualified leader is badly needed now.
With the upheaval in the county – from Measure G to the District 5 election, to problems in the district attorney’s office – it’s important to find someone who can stabilize the ship. The county must find a professional executive who can unify the employees, guide the county toward economic prosperity and work with the city of Hollister on it’s sewer issues.
It also would be great if they found someone who would be in it for the long haul, rather than someone who will use San Benito County as a stepping stone. It would be worthwhile to enter into an employment contract of at least three years with bonus payments tied to performance and longevity to keep the new CAO around.
It’s big job, and a tall order. The current board has shown itself to be inept in performing such an important task. So, it is wise to let the new supervisors choose who they want to lead the county.
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