Those in power rarely give up their power, at least not willingly. So it comes as a pleasant surprise that Sonoma County's supervisors will cede some of their authority to the county's top administrator. A better organizational structure should help the county deal with some issues more skillfully.
Currently, five county-elected supervisors directly supervise 15 of the 23 chiefs. County Governor Cristina Rivera oversees the remaining eight. Last month, regulators gave preliminary approval to a measure that would bring more departments under Rivera's oversight. Sixteen department heads will report to her, and she will have the authority to hire and fire 11 of them. Most of the remaining positions are elected by voters and a small number are appointed by regulators.
Rivera, whose new position will be county executive, will serve as a single point of contact between departments and supervisors. This is a model commonly implemented in cities that use a city manager form of government. Government is not the same as a corporation, but in this case it is helpful to think of the county as a corporation. The supervisor is the board of directors. They set the organization's larger policy goals and agenda. They hire a chief executive officer to manage day-to-day operations and execute their plans.
It has always been difficult for department heads to report to their superiors. The department head must satisfy his three superiors so that they are not affected. It is made even more difficult by the fact that supervisors sometimes have conflicting agendas and priorities and are often focused on their respective districts.
There is also no guarantee that the supervisor has management skills. The only requirements for this job are that you be a U.S. citizen, eligible to vote, live in a voting district, and have not been convicted of certain felonies. They also have to win elections. County managers/executives, on the other hand, should be hired partially based on management skills. The county has more than 4,000 employees, and the right person at the top is someone who knows how to run a large, complex organization.
“This is about efficiency, clarity and consistency,” Supervisor Chris Coursey said during a recent board discussion about the changes. “We have a single voice to bring policy decisions to action on a broader scale, with a broader perspective, to take the five perspectives and put them into practice across the organization and across the county to achieve common goals. We need executives.’ What we have. “
Rivera will not receive a raise for the additional work, but he plans to ask regulators to approve $420,000 in next year's budget to hire a second deputy chief administrative officer. Board documents do not mention any associated pay cuts for supervisors.
Supervisors will still have a lot of work to do. They pass ordinances, establish budgets, develop a strategic vision for the county, and find ways to tackle tough challenges like homelessness. If they were to remove a total of $420,000 worth of department oversight responsibility, or a significant portion of it, it would probably come out of their paychecks, not out of taxpayers' pockets.
Funding nonsense aside, this is a smart move that has been on the table for years. It would be a welcome reorganization if regulators give final approval at their April 16 meeting.
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