DATE: October 31, 2017
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Jean M. Rousseau, County Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Consolidation of Elective County Offices
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Conduct second hearing on and adopt an Ordinance repealing the consolidation of the elective offices of District Attorney-Public Administrator, consolidating the elective offices of Sheriff-Coroner and Public Administrator, and amending the title of the newly created Office to Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator, to be operative January 1, 2019; and waive reading of Ordinance in its entirety.
REPORT
On December 3, 2013, your Board held the second hearing to amend the County Ordinance to consolidate the elective offices of the District Attorney and Public Administrator and the Sheriff and Coroner. The recommended action before your Board repeals the consolidation of the offices of District Attorney and Public Administrator (Section 2.28.059 of Chapter 2.28 of Title 2), consolidates the offices of Sheriff-Coroner and Public Administrator (Section 2.32.090 of Chapter 2.32 of Title 2), and amends the title of Chapter 2.32 to Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator.
Any elective office Ordinance would take effect thirty days from its passage, but would not be operative until the commencement of the new term of office in January 2019.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may choose to take no action and the office of the District Attorney-Public Administrator and Sheriff-Coroner will remain unchanged.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The salaries and benefits, services and supplies, and fixed assets associated with Public Administrator staff are currently budgeted in the District Attorney Grants Org 2862. If your Board approves the recommended action, staff will return to your Board with recommended Salary and Budget Resolutions to complete the transfer of Public Administrator staff, associated services and supplies, and fixed assets from the District Attorney Grants Org 2862 to the Sheriff-Coroner Org 3111.
DISCUSSION:
On December 3, 2013, your Board approved the repeal of the consolidation of elective offices of the Coroner-Public Administrator and consolidation of the District Attorney and Public Administrator and the Sheriff and Coroner to be operative with the commencement of the new terms of office in January 2015.
Staff conducted a statewide survey of the Public Administrator function in the other fifty-six counties and in the one city and county. The Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator consolidation is a model utilized by thirteen of the State’s counties, as provided in Attachment A.
If the recommended action is approved by your Board, the combination of the Public Administrator function with the Sheriff-Coroner would allow for one chain of command to protect and/or properly dispose of property. A joint office would also allow for after hour referrals to the Public Administrator, which currently is not available. In addition, the consolidation would streamline operations and efficiencies to include the sharing of records and resources.
The following is a summary timeline for implementation of the recommended action:
• September 2017 - Human Resources meet & confer with impacted bargaining units;
• 10/17/17 - First hearing of the Ordinance;
• 10/31/17 - Second hearing of the Ordinance;
• October 2017 - Elected Officials salary review;
• 12/1/17 - Submit to the County Clerk an executed Board action on the updated Ordinance;
• 6/5/18 - Primary election;
• Fall 2018 - Salary and Budget Resolutions for the transfer of staff from the District Attorney to the Sheriff-Coroner’s Office; and
• January 2019 - new terms begin for the Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator and District Attorney.
The Sheriff-Coroner and the District Attorney-Public Administrator have reviewed this item and are in support of the recommended action.
OTHER REVIEWING AGENCIES:
The Superior Court has been advised of the proposed change.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #6, October 17, 2017
BAI #26, October 28, 2014
BAI #4, December 3, 2013
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Attachment A
Ordinance
CAO ANALYST:
Samantha Buck