Contra Costa County Municipal Code Ch. 24-4 County Administrator

There is created the office of county administrator, to be filled by the board of supervisors. The county administrator shall serve at the pleasure of the board of supervisors.

(Ord. 80-11 § 1 (part), 1980: prior code § 2110: Ord. 1449; Ord. 1289)

The position of county administrator is excluded from the county's merit system and shall be filled on the basis of administrative and executive ability, education, experience and knowledge of government operations. Candidates or persons appointed shall have at least five years' experience in responsible executive or administrative positions and possess the ability to plan and execute work programs, including budgeting, budgetary control and coordination of varied activities. At the time of appointment, the appointee must be a citizen of the United States and shall promptly become a resident of Contra Costa County and remain a resident during tenure in office unless county residency is waived. The incumbent shall not engage in any other business or occupation except that with the approval of the board of supervisors the incumbent may occasionally teach a course(s) in the field of public administration or public policy or occasionally act in a consultant capacity to other governmental agencies outside the county.

(Ords. 2001-05 § 1, 80-11: prior code § 2111: Ord. 1291: see Gov. C. § 24001)

The salary of the county administrator shall be fixed by the board of supervisors and shall be paid by the county auditor-controller in the same manner as the salaries of other department heads. The county administrator is granted all of the benefits conferred on other appointed county department heads.

(Ord. 80-11: prior code § 2112: Ord. 1291)

Under the supervision of the board of supervisors and subject to its direction and control, the county administrator is the chief administrative officer of the county and is responsible for the effective administration of all governmental affairs, and shall supervise implementation of ordinances, policies, rules and regulations adopted by the board in connection with these affairs and shall:

(1) Attend all meetings of the board of supervisors, except when excused, and advise and make recommendations to the board on matters within such administrative authority;

(2) Make recommendations to the board of supervisors on the appointment, performance and continued employment of all management or administrative positions for which the board is the appointing authority;

(3) Supervise and coordinate the work of departments, special districts and other agencies under the direct jurisdiction or fiscal control of the board of supervisors;

(4) As necessary, coordinate county and special district programs and functions with federal, state, other county, municipal, and other special district programs and functions;

(5) Supervise the preparation of the annual county budget in cooperation with the county auditor-controller. In performing this duty the county administrator shall review all departmental, agency and district work programs and requests and all items in the proposed budget, including revenues, expenditures, and reserves. The incumbent shall submit the proposed budget to the board of supervisors, together with a report and recommendations;

(6) In cooperation with the county auditor-controller, continuously scrutinize the budget adopted by the board of supervisors and departmental, agency and district expenditures to seek to assure that approved appropriations are not exceeded. In this connection the county administrator shall review all departmental, agency and district requests for adjustments and transfers of budgeted funds and make recommendations on them to the board. On behalf of the board the county administrator may approve or order adjustments among sub-objects in the salaries and employee benefits and services and supplies, and fixed asset appropriations of individual county departments, districts and agencies, if these adjustments do not increase the total amount budgeted for each such category of expenditure;

(7) Establish and enforce personnel policies and practices in county departments and agencies, make recommendations to the board of supervisors on departmental, agency and district requests for additional personnel, and apprise the board of the financial effects of changes in compensation requested by employee organizations in the meet and confer process. The county administrator may delegate to the director of human resources- exempt any or all of the county administrator's duties relating to personnel administration;

(8) Supervise and direct the preparation of long range plans for the management of county properties and for the construction and alteration of physical facilities needed to render county services properly. The county administrator shall make determinations on allocation of space to county departments and agencies;

(9) Develop financial plans in which revenues and expenditures are projected against anticipated county growth and in which methods of financing are recommended to the board of supervisors;

(10) Review the benefits of transferring responsibility for specific functions between county departments and agencies and consolidating county departments, agencies and districts and report the results of these studies to the board of supervisors;

(11) On behalf of the board of supervisors approve or control the attendance of county officials and employees at conferences and meetings;

(12) In cooperation with county departments and agencies, seek to improve the efficiency and economy of county government operations through techniques such as work measurement, organization and procedures, reviews, personnel utilization, records management, and operational audits;

(13) Implement a system of county administrative bulletins and public information including a county annual report;

(14) Perform investigations, studies, and surveys ordered by the board or deemed necessary by the county administrator;

(15) Make recommendations to the board of supervisors on new or revised state or federal statutes which are considered desirable and worthy of endorsement by the board. The county administrator also shall recommend to the board the adoption of new or revised ordinances, orders, and resolutions when in the county administrator's judgment these actions will improve county services and operations and are in the public interest;

(16) Perform such other duties as required by law, or ordinance or that may be directed from time to time by the board.

(Ord. No. 2024-23, § III(Exh. A), 12-3-24; Ord. No. 2014-05, § II, 4-1-14; Ord. 80-11: prior code § 2113: Ord. 1291)

(a) Information and Cooperation. Each county officer or department head, upon the request of the county administrator shall provide any record or other information relating to the administrative operation of such department and shall otherwise cooperate in the review or investigation of the administrative operation of such department. Each county officer or department head shall promptly comply with any written directive by the county administrator relating to the use of personnel, equipment or facilities of such office or administrative procedures relating thereto, subject to the right of appeal as in Chapter 14-4.

(b) Conduit to Board. All requests for board action shall be through the county administrator, who shall present them to the board with a recommendation. If the recommendation is adverse to the request, the county administrator shall notify the officer or department head of the time when the same will be presented to the board of supervisors, and may either withdraw the request before its presentation to the board or the officer or department head may appear before the board and be heard.

(Ord. No. 2024-23, § III(Exh. A), 12-3-24; Ord. 80-11)

The county administrator does not have any power or duty (including functions, prerogatives, discretions, and responsibilities) now conferred by law upon any other county officer or employee. The board of supervisors establishes the office of county administrator and prescribes the powers and duties (including functions prerogatives, discretions and responsibilities) of that office to assure that it may receive knowledgeable, objective advice about county government affairs and to assure the highest degree of efficiency and economy in the administrative operations of the county government.

(Ord. 80-11: prior code § 2144: Ord. 1291)

The county administrator may employ deputies and assistants and assign to them the duties prescribed in this chapter. The employment of such deputies or assistants shall be authorized by the board of supervisors by ordinance or resolution.

(Ord. 80-11: prior code § 2116: Ord. 1291)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 2014-05, § III, adopted April 1, 2014, repealed § 24-4.013 in its entirety. Former § 24-4.013 pertained to personnel director and was derived from Ords. 81-70 § 4, 80-56 § 2, 73-44 § 2: former §§ 32-4.1002, 32-4.602: prior code § 2418: Ords. 1296, 325 § 9.

The county administrator may utilize the services of personnel of other departments and agencies under the control of the board to assist with the county administrator's duties and with the approval of the board of supervisors the services of outside experts and consultants.

(Ord. No. 2024-23, § III(Exh. A), 12-3-24; Ord. 80-11: prior code § 2117: Ord. 1291)