By Dennis L. Stout
December 2, 2009

There is a real opportunity now for the County of San Bernardino  to get a fresh start.

In some cases maybe new faces are in order.  In many other cases, it is just a matter of asking people to move in a new direction.  The County has a number of outstanding people on it’s roster.  I hope that with a change in the County Administrative Officer (CAO) position a new leader can reshape the management team.  There are certainly some people who are not suited for a move in a new direction.

They should seek employment elsewhere.

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Jesse B. Gill, Staff Writer
Posted: 12/02/2009 12:57:24 AM PST

By JESSE B. GILL

Staff Writer

REDLANDS – City Council members Pat Gilbreath and Jerry Bean will serve as mayor and mayor pro tem for 2010, after the council’s selection Tuesday.

The city’s municipal code stipulates the offices of mayor and mayor pro tem normally have two-year terms. When the City Council voted in August to push the 2009 election to 2010 to save money, the term limits for mayor and mayor pro tem were thrown out of sync.

The council voted in September to elect a mayor and mayor pro tem for a single year. After a new city council is elected in the 2010 municipal election, the new council will select a new mayor and mayor pro tem in December 2010. At that point, the two-year term limits for both offices will be reinstated.

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10:00 PM PST on Tuesday, December 1, 2009

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

San Bernardino County will begin searching for a new county administrative officer this week, officials announced Tuesday.

Board Chairman Gary Ovitt took the step following the board’s first meeting since Nov. 17. At that meeting, a majority of supervisors voted to fire Mark Uffer, county administrator since 2004.

No specific reason was given for his removal. Supervisors said they were looking for new leadership.

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10:00 PM PST on Tuesday, December 1, 2009

By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise

San Bernardino County supervisors approved an ordinance Tuesday prohibiting the use of public office for personal gain and began to discuss limiting transition staff for newly elected officials.

Both are in response to a 2008-09 county grand jury report released in July. The report addressed government reform following a scandal at the assessor’s office that raised concerns about public corruption.

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10:18 PM PST on Tuesday, December 1, 2009

By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise

John Benoit’s honeymoon as a newly appointed Riverside County supervisor was short-lived.

After taking the oath of office Tuesday, he joined his four colleagues in a heated debate about how to move the county forward amid worsening financial news.

Supervisors voted 5-0 Tuesday to use reserve funds to overcome a $20 million drop in discretionary revenue in the current fiscal year.

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Julie Rynerson Rock
Posted: 12/01/2009 07:02:28 PM PST

I read San Bernardino County Supervisor Neil Derry’s Nov. 25 Point of View with interest. As he knows, Mr. Uffer “asked” me to retire in September, ostensibly in response to a “$6 million budget hole” that was discovered in Land Use Services. Supervisor Derry also cites that “budget hole” in his piece.

It is apparent from recent events that Mr. Uffer’s credibility is in question. I am not sure what he told the Board of Supervisors about the Land Use Services’ “budget hole,” but not one of them asked me. Supervisor Derry seems to value integrity and if he asks anyone on either side of the development equation – or any of my former staff, or his – he will discover that I have a reputation – deserved – for the highest level of integrity.

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