San Joaquin County Municipal Code Ch. 1 County Administrator

There is hereby created in and for the County, a position outside of the County Civil Service System to be known and designated as that of COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. The position of County Administrator shall be filled by appointment by the Board at a salary to be set by the Board, and shall be paid by the County Auditor-Controller in the same manner as that of other County employees. He is granted and is entitled to all of the benefits conferred on County employees relating to sick leave, vacation, holidays, workmen's compensation, and when authorized by the Board, travel expenses, and by the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937, unless otherwise set forth in the salary chapter.

(Ord. 1402; 1720)

The County Administrator shall be a person having graduated from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree with major course work in Public Administration, Business Administration, Political Science, Engineering, Economics, Finance, Accounting, or a related field, and shall have at least five (5) years' experience in public or private employment in a managerial or executive position planning and budgeting expenditure analysis and control, and personnel management. However, by evidence factually presented, an equivalent combination of education and experience may also be considered qualifying. The County Administrator shall devote his/her entire time to the duties of the office and shall not engage in any other business or occupation.

(Ord. 1402)

(Ord. No. 4434, § 1, 3-12-2013)

The County Administrator shall serve at the pleasure of the Board, subject to any written agreement between the County Administrator and the Board regarding the status, tenure or other employment terms of the County Administrator.

(Ord. 1402; 3777)

The County Administrator may employ assistants and assign them to the various duties prescribed in this chapter. Such assistants shall be authorized by the Board by resolution and shall be employed under the provisions of the County Merit System, except that the Manager of Personnel and Employee Relations shall be exempt from County Merit System coverage.

(Ord. 1402; 2548)

It shall be the duty and responsibility of the County Administrator to:

(a) Attend all meetings of the Board, including committee meetings, and generally advise, assist, and act as agent or representative of, and be responsible to, the Board in all matters pertaining to the efficient administration of such affairs of the County as may be designated by this chapter or the Board.

(b) Enforce all ordinances, resolutions, orders, directives, and regulations of the Board as may be directed by the Board.

(c) Recommend an annual County budget for the several offices and departments of the County and exercise continuous budgetary control by requiring department heads to operate within the departmental budget, recommending for or against all departmental requests for transfer of funds or the employment of additional personnel during the fiscal year, and approving the same only when it appears that the need therefor could not have been reasonably foreseen at the time of the adoption of the departmental budget, and that the department has expended its funds and used its personnel in an efficient and economical manner in accordance with the administrative policies and practices approved by the County Administrator.

(d) Recommend a long-term financial plan for the implementation of a Capital Improvement Program accompanied by pertinent data and methods of financing.

(e) Conduct continuous research in administrative policies and practices with special reference to the efficient and economic use of personnel, equipment and facilities, and recommend and require department heads to adopt policies and practices that will promote the orderly, efficient, and economic conduct of County business.

(f) Recommend consolidations or rearrangements of departments and functions when feasible to promote efficiency and economy.

(g) Make recommendations to the Board relating to personnel policies, including the creation or abolition of positions, in the several County offices and departments and the establishment of salaries and wages.

(h) Subject to the authority and duties of the Purchasing Agent, make recommendations as to the purchasing of property, equipment, and supplies.

(i) Direct central administrative services that may be placed under the direction of the County Administrator by the Board.

(j) Represent the County in its intergovernmental relationships.

(k) Prepare an Administrative Code setting forth the administrative policies and practices of the County which when approved by the Board shall constitute the officially approved Administrative Code of the County, and it shall be the duty of the County Administrator to compel compliance therewith by all department heads, officers, and employees of the County.

(1) The County Administrator shall also recommend to the Board the adoption of new and revised ordinances, orders, and resolutions when in his judgment those actions will promote improved County services and operations and are in the public interest.

(Ord. 1402)

An annual report shall be prepared and presented to the Board. It shall contain a summary of departmental activities for the preceding 12-month period and a reappraisal of the financial prospects that face the County. Included, but by no means to be limited to the above in the review of the state of the County government, the report shall contain recommended items for the immediate attention of the Board.

(Ord. 1402)

To assist in carrying out his powers and duties, the County Administrator or his authorized representative may enter any County department and investigate its operation with respect to the efficiency and economy of administrative procedures and may recommend to the department head any action relating to the use of personnel, equipment, facilities, or budgetary expenditures. If the department head fails to comply with the recommendation, the County Administrator may issue a written directive to the department head requiring him to comply forthwith. Any department head dissatisfied with a written directive may appeal to the Board and be heard thereon. Unless the directive is annulled or modified by the Board, the department head shall forthwith comply therewith or if modified he shall comply with the modified directive. If the department head then fails to comply with the directive, the County Administrator shall report that fact to the Board with his recommendation as to what action, if any, the Board should take. In the case of appointive department heads, failure to comply shall be deemed misconduct in office.

(Ord. 1402)

It shall be the duty of each department head to:

(a) Provide any record or other information relating to the administrative operation of his department and to otherwise cooperate with the County Administrator in the investigation of the administrative operation of the department.

(b) Channel all requests to the Board through the County Administrator who shall present them to the Board with his recommendation. If the recommendation is adverse to the request, the department head making the request shall be notified thereof within one (1) week and of the time when the same will be presented to the Board. Thereafter he may either withdraw the request or appear before the Board and be heard thereon.

(Ord. 1402)

No provision of this chapter is intended to vest in the County Administrator any duty or authority which is vested by general law in any other County officer or employee. It is the intent of the Board only to create the position of County Administrator and prescribe the prerogatives, duties, powers, responsibilities, and functions thereof in order to assure a high degree of efficiency and economy in the administrative operation of the government of the County.

(Ord. 1402)

With respect to appointive department heads, the County Administrator shall establish a rating system reflecting his evaluation of the performance of their duties and review the same annually with the Board, except that the evaluation and review shall be had as to any newly appointed officer within six months of his appointment.

(Ord. 1402)