Yuba County Municipal Code Ch. 2.47 County Administrator

The purpose of this Chapter is to establish the position of County Administrator and to define the nature, duties, and responsibilities of the position.

(Prior Code, § 2.47.010; Ord. No. 804; Ord. No. 1262)

The County Administrator shall be appointed by majority vote of the County Board of Supervisors for an indefinite term or a fixed term. The Administrator shall be chosen by the Board of Supervisors solely on the basis of executive and administrative qualifications with special reference to actual experience in or knowledge of accepted practice in respect to the duties of the office hereinafter set forth. No Board of Supervisors member shall receive such appointment, permanent or interim, during the term for which the Board member shall have been elected or within one year after the expiration of the member's term or resignation.

(Prior Code, § 2.47.020; Ord. No. 804; Ord. No. 1262; Ord. No. 1298)

The County Board of Supervisors may remove the County Administrator at any time, with or without cause, by a majority vote of its members. If requested in writing by the County Administrator and delivered within five days after receiving notice of removal, a public hearing shall be granted by the Board of Supervisors within 30 days following notice of removal. During the interim, the Board of Supervisors may suspend the Administrator from duty, but shall continue the Administrator's salary and, if the removal becomes final, shall pay said salary as established by written contract, if any.

(Prior Code, § 2.47.030; Ord. No. 804; Ord. No. 1298)

The County Administrator shall have sufficient training and experience in a responsible managerial and administrative position which demonstrates executive and administrative skills and possession of the following knowledge and abilities: thorough knowledge of modern principles of public administration, organization, and management; thorough knowledge of administrative survey principles and techniques; wide knowledge of the principles and practices of survey principles and techniques; wide knowledge of the principles and practices of governmental budgeting; knowledge of the powers, limitations, organization, methods, and financial problems of County government; wide knowledge of the principles of effective public relations; knowledge of the Federal and State programs applicable to local government; ability to analyze and make recommendations on administrative and technical problems; ability to interpret, explain, and apply applicable laws, rules and regulations; ability to plan, organize, direct, and evaluate the work of others; ability to prepare and present comprehensive reports and recommendations; ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with public officials, administrators, employees, and the public, demonstrated skills in coordinating the activities of administrative officials while encouraging their development and administrative ability. The Administrator shall be a person of demonstrated administrative and executive ability as shown by at least five years of public management experience prior to appointment as County Administrator.

(Prior Code, § 2.47.040; Ord. No. 804; Ord. No. 1298)

The County Administrator shall be the chief administrative officer of the County, may head one or more departments, and shall be responsible to the County Board of Supervisors for the proper administration of all affairs of the County. To that end, the Administrator shall have the power and shall be required to:

(1) Coordinate the work of all elective and appointive County offices, departments, and institutions in such matters which are the concern and responsibility of the Board of Supervisors. The Administrator may undertake any study or investigation the Administrator believes is necessary or desirable and shall make any study or investigation the Board requests. The Administrator shall make recommendations to the Board which the Administrator believes will result in greater efficiency and economy in the administration of County affairs. To enable the Administrator to carry out such responsibilities, the Administrator may require reasonable and appropriate reports from any County officer, department head, agency head, or institution head.

(2) Except for those employees, personnel and County officers appointed for a term of office by law, the County Administrator shall appoint, terminate, suspend, demote or otherwise discipline appointed Agency and Department Heads including but not limited to executive level at will management positions within the Community Development and Services Agency. The Administrator shall consult with the Board, in closed session, prior to appointing, terminating, suspending or demoting an employee covered under this Section. Any such closed session shall be noticed, and otherwise conducted in accordance with applicable law and County ordinances.

(3) Recommend an annual County budget, review departmental budget requests with the persons filing the requests, and enter recommendations for each departmental budget along with the request. The Administrator shall review the revenue estimates of the County Auditor-Controller. After the final County budget has been adopted by the Board, the County Administrator shall administer the budget and exercise budgetary control as directed by the Board.

(4) Keep the Board of Supervisors advised of the financial condition and future needs of the County, and make such recommendations as may be deemed desirable.

(5) Recommend to the Board of Supervisors a standard schedule of pay for each appointive department head position in the County service, including minimum, intermediate, and maximum rates.

(6) Recommend to the Board of Supervisors from time to time, adoption of such measures as may be deemed necessary or expedient for the health, safety, or welfare of the community or for the improvement of administrative services.

(7) Consolidate, separate or combine offices, positions, departments, or units under the Administrator's jurisdiction with the approval of the County Board of Supervisors.

(8) Attend all meetings of the County Board of Supervisors, unless excused therefrom, and take part in the discussion of all matters before the Board of Supervisors. The Administrator shall be entitled to prior notice of all regular and special meetings of the Board of Supervisors.

(9) Investigate the affairs of the County or any agency, department or division thereof. Investigate all complaints in relation to matters concerning the administration of the government of the County and see that all franchises granted by the County are faithfully observed.

(10) Prepare a draft evaluation of each appointed County agency or department head's job performance except the County Counsel, on an annual or as-needed basis as directed by Board policy. For those department heads working under the direction of an agency director, the County Administrator will consult with the Agency Director about the department head's job performance, and may elect to delegate the preparation of the evaluation to the Agency Director.

(11) The County Administrator shall coordinate development of the County's annual legislative platform and its legislative advocacy efforts.

(12) Review all documents prior to agendizing for any special and/or regular meetings of the Board of Supervisors. The Administrator may make recommendations to the Chair of the Board of Supervisors concerning the endorsement of or opposition to any proposed agenda items. If, in the opinion of the County Administrator and the Board Chair, an item is inappropriate for consideration or is inadequately prepared, it shall not be agendized but returned immediately to the person who submitted it with the reason for rejection. Any Board member may agendize any item, provided Board rules and procedures are complied with.

(13) Perform such other duties as may be required by the Board of Supervisors, not inconsistent with the law or County ordinances, and may delegate functions to appropriate staff.

(Prior Code, § 2.47.050; Ord. No. 804; Ord. No. 1298; Ord. No. 1564)

Neither the Board of Supervisors nor any of its members shall direct or request the appointment of any person to or removal from office by the County Administrator or any of the Administrator's subordinates, or in any manner take part in the appointment or removal of officers and employees of the County. Except for the purpose of inquiry, the Board of Supervisors and its members shall deal with the administration of County affairs solely through the County Administrator or his/her designee and neither the Board of Supervisors nor any member thereof shall give any order or direction to any subordinates of the County Administrator, either publicly or privately. This Section does not apply to County Counsel as County Counsel is responsible directly to the Board.

(Prior Code, § 2.47.060; Ord. No. 804; Ord. No. 1298)

The County Administrator shall receive such compensation as the Board of Supervisors shall fix from time to time by ordinance, resolution or contract.

(Prior Code, § 2.47.080; Ord. No. 804; Ord. No. 1298)

Any vacancy in the Office of the County Administrator shall be filled within 60 days after the effective date of such vacancy.

(Prior Code, § 2.47.090; Ord. No. 804; Ord. No. 1262)

If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, provision or portion of this Chapter, or the application thereof to any person or circumstances, is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions or provisions of this Chapter, or their applicability to distinguishable situations or circumstances. In enacting this Chapter, it is the desire of the Board of Supervisors to validly regulate to the full measure of its legal authority in the public interest, and to that end, the Board of Supervisors declares that it would have adopted this Chapter and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, provision, or portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases or portions thereof might be declared invalid or unconstitutional in whole or in part, as applied to any particular situation or circumstances, and to this end the provisions of this Chapter are intended to be severable.

State Law reference— Similar provisions, Government Code § 23.