Sonoma County Grand Jury
• 2007-2008
Sonoma County Administrator’s Office Managing a County in Transition Sometime in the last decade, Sonoma County
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 10 findings
F1
The Board of Supervisors is pleased with the County Administrator’s performance.
No recommendations for this finding
F2
The Board of Supervisors conducts an informal performance review of the County Administrator annually.
No recommendations for this finding
F3
County employees at all levels are generally satisfied with the performance of the CAO.
No recommendations for this finding
F4
The Board of Supervisors, County Administrator, and other department heads and managers in County government believe they are accessible to all County employees.
No recommendations for this finding
F5
Some County employees believe they are unable to share their concerns about the operation of their specific departments and County government in general with the County Administrator or the Board of Supervisors.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The Board of Supervisors and the County Administrator should ensure that Sonoma County residents and County employees have a way to get their concerns heard by the people who are deciding the County’s future.
F6
Some County workers believe morale has suffered in recent years because County management doesn’t address the problems that staff members bring to their attention.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The Board of Supervisors and the County Administrator should ensure that Sonoma County residents and County employees have a way to get their concerns heard by the people who are deciding the County’s future.
F7
The County Administrator is perceived by many County employees and managers as being less accessible than his predecessors in the position, and less likely to consider their suggestions.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The Board of Supervisors and the County Administrator should ensure that Sonoma County residents and County employees have a way to get their concerns heard by the people who are deciding the County’s future.
F8
The County Administrator exercises near-unilateral control over the agenda of the weekly Board of Supervisors meeting.
No recommendations for this finding
F9
In recent years, most open positions have been filled by external candidates rather than through internal transfers or promotions. This requires more spending for recruitment and often results in higher salaries being offered to attract the most qualified candidates. Since this often means an entire salary range has to be increased, existing staff members in those positions may also receive raises above what they would have merited otherwise.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
The CAO should plan and implement programs to encourage career development for County employees. Grooming internal candidates for top management positions saves the County money in recruitment and helps control salaries and other personnel costs.
F10
The County's five-year strategic plan is expected to be finalized this summer. According to the County Administrator, it focuses on matters not currently being addressed adequately by County departments. The County Administrator indicates that the plan will focus on five areas: 1. Improving roads 2. Maintaining the criminal justice system 3. Enhancing the visibility of County agencies to the communities they serve 4. Adapting to demographic changes occurring in the County 5. Upgrading County facilities 64 Commendations The Grand Jury commends the CAO for devising and beginning the implementation of a strategic plan for the County. The office has also begun internal audits of County agencies in an attempt to make them more efficient. Conclusions The transitions now underway in the County have affected staff at every level. Some County employees believe there is no one to whom they can express their concerns about the problems they perceive in County operations. There is also concern about how well County employees are being prepared to assume greater responsibility through internal promotions. Relying on outside hires to fill department-head and other management positions as they open up increases salary ranges throughout the affected agencies at a time when salaries already account for a growing percentage of overall agency budgets. The County’s future is in the hands of the CAO. The office has made great strides in recent years toward developing and implementing a long-overdue strategic plan. The CAO has begun to remake the way County government operates. These changes can be difficult for County employees, as well as for the citizens they serve. It is imperative that during the transition the CAO make an extra effort to keep the lines of communication open with Sonoma County residents and all county workers.
No recommendations for this finding
Additional Recommendations 1
These recommendations are not explicitly linked to specific findings.
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R3The CAO should continue to audit County agencies to help them operate more efficiently and identify ways to offer County residents more and higher-quality services during times of shrinking County budgets. Required Responses to Findings Board of Supervisors F5, F6, F8 County Administrator F5, F6, F7, F8, F9 Required Responses to Recommendations Board of Supervisors R1 County Administrator R1, R2, R3 65
Conclusions 1
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CL1 Page 4The transitions now underway in the County have affected staff at every level. Some County employees believe there is no one to whom they can express their concerns about the problems they perceive in County operations. There is also concern about how well County employees are being prepared to assume greater responsibility through internal promotions. Relying on outside hires to fill department-head and other management positions as they open up increases salary ranges throughout the affected agencies at a time when salaries already account for a growing percentage of overall agency budgets. The County’s future is in the hands of the CAO. The office has made great strides in recent years toward developing and implementing a long-overdue strategic plan. The CAO has begun to remake the way County government operates. These changes can be difficult for County employees, as well as for the citizens they serve. It is imperative that during the transition the CAO make an extra effort to keep the lines of communication open with Sonoma County residents and all county workers.
Commendations 1
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CM1 Page 4The Grand Jury commends the CAO for devising and beginning the implementation of a strategic plan for the County. The office has also begun internal audits of County agencies in an attempt to make them more efficient.
No Responses Found 2
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
Sonoma County
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