DATE: August 19, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Ernest Buddy Mendes, Chairman, Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT: Confirm Appointment of County Counsel and Amendment to Salary Resolution
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Confirm appointment of Douglas Sloan, effective September 1, 2025, to the position of County Counsel pursuant to Fresno County Charter Section 16; and
2. Approve Amendment to the Salary Resolution increasing the salary range for County Counsel, effective August 18, 2025, as reflected on Appendix “C”
REPORT
Approval of the recommended actions will confirm the appointment of Douglas Sloan to the position of County Counsel and increase the salary range of the position by approximately 7.14%. The estimated cost for FY 2025-26 is $23,365, $9,580 of which is Net County Cost (NCC).
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board were not to approve the recommended actions, the position of County Counsel will remain vacant, and the salary will remain unchanged.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The FY 2025-26 estimated cost associated with the second recommended action is $23,365, $9,580 of which is NCC. Department appropriations will be monitored, and adjustments will be brought to your Board if needed.
DISCUSSION:
Douglas Sloan has been selected as the best qualified candidate through an open recruitment and interview process for the position of County Counsel. Mr. Sloan has many years of legal experience at the management level in both the private and public sectors. Recent experience includes having served as the City Attorney for the City of Santa Monica from 2022 to the present.
Mr. Sloan obtained his Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri - Kansas and his bachelor’s degree with a major in Philosophy and minors in both Political Science and English from Southeast Missouri State University.
The second recommended action increases the County Counsel salary range by approximately 7.14%, as directed by your Board, effective August 18, 2025.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Salary Resolution Amendment - Appendix “C”
CAO ANALYST:
George Uc