LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — For the first time in more than 40 years, a county supervisor is stepping down before finishing their term.

On Thursday morning, the Lake County Administrative Office reported that District 4 Supervisor Tina Scott is resigning.

Her resignation becomes effective on July 31.

“While I am confident this is the best available decision at this time, there are innumerable aspects of my supervisor role I will deeply miss. I am grateful to have had this opportunity, and looking forward to continuing to invest in Lake County communities,” Scott said in the county statement.

The statement released by the county did not offer much in the way of detail about her decision to leave. “Unfortunately, personal circumstances have made it impossible for Scott to complete her term. Scott appreciates the announcement will come as a surprise to many.”

However, the real reason appears to be that Scott — known for her baking — has been hired as the new career technical education, or CTE, food service and hospitality teacher at Clear Lake High School. She will begin in the fall.

The Lakeport Unified School Board approved Scott’s hire at its Wednesday night meeting. She was one of several hires the board approved following a closed session discussion.

“She will be developing the CTE program and teaching the classes associated with the career pathway,” Lakeport Unified Superintendent Matt Bullard told Lake County News in a Thursday afternoon email. “We are excited to see where this opportunity goes!”

Scott, who was first elected in 2016, is halfway through her second term on the Board of Supervisors. Her only elected experience before joining the Board of Supervisors was on the Lakeport Unified School Board.

“When I sought reelection in 2020, I never imagined I would be stepping away just two years later,” Scott said in the statement released by the county.

Scott’s resignation is the first for a supervisor since the late 1970s. Then-Supervisor Gene Lovi — who also represented District 4 — stepped down in 1979 and Gov. Jerry Brown selected Mary Waterman to fill his unexpired term in March of 1979, said Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez.

In February 1981, the governor appointed Carl M. Larson to fill the vacancy created by the death of District 2 Supervisor William E. Whalen, Valadez said.

Scott’s resignation announcement comes less than a month after County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson announced she would be stepping down, effective April 29.

Earlier this week, Scott voted in support of naming Huchingson’s assistant county administrative officer, Susan Parker, to succeed Huchingson on an interim basis. Parker has stated she intends to seek the job on a permanent basis.

The timing of Scott’s departure — waiting for the school year to begin rather than leaving sooner — also appears calculated to allow her to help select the permanent successor for Huchingson, for whom she has been a staunch supporter.

The supervisors will discuss filling Scott’s seat at the board’s April 26 meeting, which also will be Huchingson’s last as county administrative officer.

The filling of vacancies on boards of supervisors can be done in two ways.

California Government Code Section 25060 places the responsibility first with the governor: “Whenever a vacancy occurs in a board of supervisors, the Governor shall fill the vacancy. The appointee shall hold office until the election and qualification of his or her successor.”

However, California Government Code Section 25061 gives the option of an election: “The election of a supervisor to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term shall be held at the next general election, unless the term expires on the first Monday after January 1st succeeding the election.”

Whether or not the governor makes an appointment, the board also will consider putting the seat up for general election, the county reported.

“Research toward the Board’s April 26 discussion is still in progress. However, it is probable it will be on the November ballot,” Deputy County Administrative Officer Matthew Rothstein told Lake County News.

While Lake County’s supervisorial districts were redrawn in December 2021, since Scott was elected when previous boundaries were in use, eligibility to vote for District 4 Supervisor in November will be based on those old boundaries, the county reported.

County officials pointed to examples of filling vacant supervisorial seats both by appointment and election in other counties.

In Mendocino County in 2017, the governor made the appointment to fill a vacancy. In San Benito County, a vacancy in 2020 was filled by an election and the governor made an appointment following another resignation in 2021.

County officials said the process to fill a vacancy can take up to several months.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.