Sec. 2-5.205. Private practice prohibited.

   The County Counsel shall not engage in the private practice of the law. (§ 2, Ord. 448)

Article 3. County Administrative Officer*

*   The title of Article 3, formerly entitled County Executive”, amended by Section 1, Ordinance No. 782, effective September 1, 1977.

Sec. 2-5.301. Purpose.

   The purpose of this article is to establish the position of County Administrative Officer and to define the nature, duties, and responsibilities of the position. (§ 1, Ord. 406, as amended by § 1, Ord. 782, eff. September 1, 1977)

Sec. 2-5.302. Qualifications.

   The County Administrative Officer shall be a graduate of a college or university with a bachelors degree in public administration, business administration, government, political science or a closely related field. A masters degree in public administration is desirable. The County Administrative Officer shall have seven (7) years of increasingly responsible experience in City or County government with at least three (3) years experience in a county at a senior management level. The County Administrative Officer shall possess 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 governmental budgeting; knowledge of the powers, limitations, organization, methods, and financial problems of County government; wide knowledge of the principles of personnel management; 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; and skills in coordinating the activities of administrative officials while encouraging their development and administrative ability. (§ 3, Ord. 406, as amended by § 1, Ord. 782, eff. September 1, 1977, and § 1, Ord. 1090, eff. March 23, 1989)

Sec. 2-5.303. Appointment: Salary.

   The County Administrative Officer shall be appointed by a majority of the members of the Board at a salary to be determined by the Board. (§ 3, Ord. 406, as amended by § 1, Ord. 782, eff. September 1, 1977)

Sec. 2-5.304. Term of office: Removal.

   The County Administrative Officer shall serve at the pleasure of the Board. He or she may be removed by a majority vote of the Board at any regular meeting of the Board, except that during the first three (3) months after any change in membership of the Board, the County Administrative Officer may only be removed by a four-fifths (4/5) majority vote of the Board. The County Administrative Officer shall have at least 180 days notice of the Board’s intention to remove him or her before such removal shall become final. (§ 3, Ord. 406, as amended by § 1, Ord. 782, eff. September 1, 1977, and § 1, Ord. 1098, eff. October 5, 1989)

Sec. 2-5.305. Powers and duties.

   The County Administrative Officer shall supervise for the Board the administration of all County offices, departments, and institutions over which the Board has responsibility and control through its power of appointment. In addition, the County Administrative Officer shall act as the Administrative Officer for the Board to enforce all the rules and regulations of the Board which it has the power to apply to elective and appointive County offices, departments, and institutions.

   The County Administrative Officer’s duties, powers, and responsibilities shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

   (a)   The County Administrative Officer shall be responsible to the Board for the administration of County offices, departments, and institutions as set forth in the first paragraph of this section. He or she shall be responsible for the coordination of the work of all elective and appointive County offices, departments, and institutions in such matters which are the concern and responsibility of the Board. He or she may make such studies and investigations which he or she believes are necessary or desirable and shall make any study or investigation the Board requests. He or she shall make recommendations to the Board which he or she believes will result in greater efficiency and economy in the administration of County affairs. To enable the County Administrative Officer to carry out such responsibilities, he or she may require reports from any officer, department head, or institutional head.

   (b)   Unless otherwise prescribed by statute, the County Administrative Officer shall appoint appointed department heads, subject to the approval of the Board of Supervisors. The County Administrative Officer may recommend that the Board suspend or remove any person holding an administrative position where the Board has the power to appoint and remove. Whenever the County Administrative Officer makes such a recommendation, the person involved shall have the right to be heard by the Board.

   (c)   The County Administrative Officer shall maintain and direct central administrative services which are approved and placed in his or her charge by the Board, such as building and property management, insurance, the use of office appliances and duplicating, the control and assignment of extra help, and the maintenance of automotive or other major equipment and control over its use.

   (d)   (Repealed by § 3, Ord. 1090, eff. March 23, 1989)

   (e)   The County Administrative Officer shall, in collaboration with the Chief Financial Officer, 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 requests. The County Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer shall review the revenue estimates of the Department of Financial Services. After the County Administrative Officer has submitted the recommended budget to the Board, the Board shall review the recommendations and the departmental requests, make any changes believed to be advisable, and adopt the preliminary budget in the manner provided for by law.

   (f)   After the final County budget has been adopted by the Board, the County Administrative Officer shall administer the budget and exercise continuous budgetary control. He or she shall review all requests for appropriation transfers, and none shall be approved or disapproved by the Board until he or she makes a recommendation to the Board. He or she shall supervise expenditures of all elective and appointive offices, departments, and institutions. He or she may disapprove proposed expenditures whether or not they have been included in the budget. The County Administrative Officer or Chief Financial Officer may recommend to the Board the establishment of a budgetary allotment system and such other expenditure controls which they believe to be necessary or desirable.

   (g)   The County Administrative Officer shall review all requests for new positions and classifications or reclassifications, and none shall be approved or disapproved by the Board until the County Administrative Officer had made a recommendation to the Board on the position involved. The County Administrative Officer shall recommend to the Board procedures which he or she believes will result in a more efficient personnel program.

   (h)   The County Administrative Officer shall attend the meetings of the Board and may participate in the discussion of any matter but shall have no vote.

   (i)   The County Administrative Officer shall represent the Board in the County's intergovernmental relationships in accordance with Board policies and instructions. When directed, the County Administrative Officer shall represent the Board in dealing with individuals or groups concerned with County affairs.

   (j)   The County Administrative Officer shall evaluate the on-the-job performance of each department head (except for elected officers, appointed officers with fixed terms of office, and members of boards and commissions) at least once annually and prepare a written record of the review. The County Administrative Officer shall discuss the draft evaluation with the department head. If the final report indicates unsatisfactory performance, the report shall be discussed with the Board and the department head.

   (k)   The County Administrative Officer shall be responsible for the labor relations program of the County.

   (l)   The County Administrative Officer shall coordinate the planning for the design and construction of physical facilities and the assignment of space required for County services. He or she shall prepare, and keep current, a capital improvement plan, including recommended methods for financing, for adoption by the Board.

   (m)   Provide oversight and supervision to the Division of Environmental Health insofar as Environmental Health functions as the Local Enforcement Agency (LEA) for solid waste. (§§ 2 and 4, Ord. 406, as amended by § 1, Ord. 782, eff. September 1, 1977,§§ 2, 3, Ord. 1090, eff. March 23, 1989,§ 1, Ord. 1444, eff. August 14, 2014, and § 5, Ord. 1450, eff. January 5, 2015)

Article 4. County Library

Sec. 2-5.401. Established.

   Pursuant to the provisions of Sections 27151 et seq. of Chapter 2 of Division 20 of Part 4 of the Education Code of the State, the Board hereby establishes a County Free Library. (Res. of October 4, 1915)