BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
BILL NO: AB 1318 HEARING: 6/15/05
AUTHOR: Evans FISCAL: No
VERSION: 5/16/05 CONSULTANT: Wagner
SONOMA COUNTY'S PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR
Background and Existing Law
State law requires voters to elect 10 county officers,
including the public administrator. Counties can appoint
several other officers, including the public guardian.
County supervisors can convert elected offices into
appointed offices with voter approval.
The Legislature has allowed six counties to convert the
public administrator's office from an elected to an
appointed position: Mendocino County (SB 1814, Keene,
1982), Lake County (SB 650, Nielsen, 1985), Madera County
(AB 3524, Costa, 1990), Trinity County (AB 3352, Gotch,
1994), Tuolumne County (AB 2717, House, 2000), and Napa
County (SB 570, Chesbro, 2003). The Legislature has also
allowed two counties to convert the public administrator's
office from an elected to an appointed position and
consolidate the offices of public administrator and public
guardian: Solano County (AB 766, Wiggins, 2000) and Glenn
County (AB 209, Dickerson, 2001).
Sonoma County's board of supervisors consolidated the
elected offices of the public administrator and the county
clerk in 1995. The board also consolidated the appointed
offices of the public guardian and the public conservator
to create the head of the Human Services Department.
Sonoma County wants to convert the office of public
administrator from an elected to an appointed position as
well as formally consolidate the public guardian and the
public administrator.
Proposed Law
Assembly Bill 1318 allows Sonoma County's board of
supervisors to adopt an ordinance to convert the public
administrator's office from an elected to an appointed
position. AB 1318 also adds Sonoma County to the list of
AB 1318 - 5/16/05 -- Page 2
counties that may appoint the same person to the offices of
public administrator and public guardian.
AB 1318 contains double-jointing language to avoid
chaptering out with SB 282 (Maldonado).
Comments
1. Home rule . County governments are 19th Century
institutions struggling to cope with 21st Century problems.
Sonoma County's Supervisors believe they can improve
public service by consolidating the services of the public
administrator, public guardian, county clerk, and public
conservator into the Human Services Department. AB 1318
gives Sonoma County the flexibility to better manage the
concerns of their residents and organize themselves in a
way to do so.
2. Related Legislation . SB 282 (Maldonado) passed the
Senate Local Government Committee on April 6 on the
Committee's consent calendar. It allows Monterey County to
consolidate the offices of public administrator and public
guardian and also authorizes Lassen County to separate the
offices of the district attorney and public administrator
while combining the duties of the public administrator and
public guardian.
Assembly Actions
Assembly Local Government Committee: 7-0
Assembly Floor: 71-0
Support and Opposition (6/9/05)
Support : Sonoma County.
Opposition : Unknown.