San Diegans Should Have a Say in The Hiring of the county's top executive
A huge change in leadership is about to happen. For the second time in the last year, the Board of Supervisors is in motion to hire a new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). They appear to be moving once again to engage in a process without community input or oversight.
All the things that we’ve won as the ISDF Coalition and everything we are working towards depends on the County’s Chief Administrative Officer being someone who prioritizes community engagement and has a commitment to racial and social justice. San Diegans have been calling for a more equitable and inclusive County government. Efforts by the Invest in San Diego Families coalition and other advocates led to the Board of Supervisors adopting equity as a strategic initiative, a more inclusive budgeting process, and increased language access, but we’re far from done.
If we don’t get involved with this process, the Board of Supervisors may hire a new CAO who resists rather than leads the kind of transformation we need in San Diego County government. San Diegans should have a say in who creates the county’s budget and drafts policies!
It’s critical that community members know and meet who is being considered for the position, have opportunities to ask questions and have a real say in the future of our county.
The Board of Supervisors must:
- Publicly release the hiring process and timeline
- Host public forums for community members to share the values they want to see reflected in the next CAO
- Include community representatives in the review and selection process
- Provide an opportunity for community members to ask questions of and assess the final candidates
Thank you to everyone who has sent an email to the Board of Supervisors! We’ve sent at least 73 emails. Join the people who have already sent an email or public comment and let them know that we will not accept the Board of Supervisors conducting this hiring process behind closed doors.
Why the county cao matters
The Chief Administrative Officer may be even more influential than the Supervisors when taking into account power, and longevity. The previous CAO (Helen Robbins-Meyer) was there for over 25 years, and it’s possible that the new CAO will stay for decades as well.
The ISDF coalition fights for a County that is for the people and by the people. We want our next Chief Administrative Officer to be hired through a transparent and community oriented process. The Board of Supervisors already engaged in a process that happen behind closed doors without community input and as a result we’re a year behind in completing this search.
Roles & Responsibilities
County CAO
Board of Supervisors
What do we want to see in the new CAO?
The next CAO must:
TAKE ACTION
Submit a non agenda public e-comment here telling the Board of Supervisors they can’t hire next Chief Administrative Officer in secret.
Check out some sample comments below:
- My name is [INSERT NAME]. The Board of Supervisors cannot choose a CAO behind closed doors. I am demanding that San Diegans have a say in who will be the next CAO. The County at minimum must host public forums, and include meaningful community input & insight. The CAO is one of the most important public roles in San Diego. The person hired will create a budget of over $8 billion, manage over 2,000 County employees, & implement policies, programs, & services that impact all County residents.
- My name is [INSERT NAME] from the ISDF coalition. San Diegans should not be excluded from major decisions that affect our lives! The CAO is one of the most powerful positions in the county, creating & managing the entire budget, policies and programs. The next CAO must have a demonstrated commitment to social, racial and worker justice. We need a transparent, community-oriented hiring process, including opportunities to meet and question the candidates.