The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday in favor of keeping Helen Robbins-Meyer as interim chief administrative officer for a limited time.
After 12 years in the position, Robbins-Meyer was expected to leave last Friday after announcing her retirement in October 2022. However, board Chairwoman Nora Vargas last week made the formal request in an official letter, which stated that Robbins-Meyer would serve as interim CAO “for a limited duration and certify that her appointment is necessary to fill a critically needed position before 180 days have passed since her retirement date.”
Robbins-Meyer’s hourly salary will be $194.61, according to the executive board clerk. She was not present during Tuesday’s meeting.
The request to keep Robbins-Meyer as CAO follows a political earthquake involving the planned resignation of District 4 Supervisor Nathan Fletcher.
Last week, Fletcher announced that he would leave his post in May, after admitting to an affair with a woman who then sued him, alleging he sexually assaulted and harassed her. He has denied those allegations. The board will consider options on finding a replacement for Fletcher at its May 2 meeting.
Tuesday’s discussion was interrupted several times by people sitting in the audience, including some who said that Robbins-Meyer’s successor shouldn’t be Michael Vu, who has served as assistant CAO since January 2021.
They interrupted Supervisor Jim Desmond, who said it was important to consider a person already working in county government, one with whom both supervisors and county workforce are familiar, who can provide stability and continuity.
Vargas banged her gavel, and asked critics “to continue with some civility” for an important issue. “If you can let my colleague speak …Â Â I’m trying not to close this session at the moment, so please follow the rules and procedures,” she said.
Desmond said he appreciated Robbins-Meyer’s willingness to stay on, adding that the board must also “take into account the turmoil of last week as we consider a new CAO.”
The position “should go to an experienced administrator” who isn’t politically motivated, and who understands the issues and challenges of the region, Desmond added.
Vargas added that the board has held several closed sessions about the position and cannot speak publicly about potential candidates, including any existing county employee.
According to the board letter, Robbins-Meyer “retired from county service on March 30, 2023 and retired with the San Diego County Employees’ Retirement Association on March 31.”
“The CAO position is now vacant and it will be several months before the recruitment and onboarding of a new CAO is completed,” the letter stated.
“The CAO is a critically needed position and Helen Robbins-Meyer has agreed to return as a retiree-rehire and serve as the interim CAO.”
When Robbins-Meyer announced her retirement in October, she left the departure date open to allow county officials time to search for a successor.
Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said she was grateful to Robbins-Meyer for helping the county pivot from “ossified and retrograde practices of the past and really bring us into the 21st century.”
The board will find “an amazing CAO to take our county in a new direction,” Lawson-Remer added.
City News Service contributed to this article.