Scott, whose last meeting was last Tuesday, announced her resignation in April to take a job as a culinary arts teacher at Clear Lake High School in Lakeport. Her resignation was effective on July 31.
First elected in 2016, she served one full term and half of a second.
She’s the first county supervisor in four decades to resign before completing a term.
The board held a discussion July 12 — after it had been put off or rescheduled since her resignation announcement — to discuss whether to go to a special election or seek a gubernatorial appointment.
The supervisors ultimately decided to take no action at that time; Scott said they should wait until after she was gone to make a decision.
By Scott not stepping down earlier or allowing the county to begin a process to pursue an election, it left the board with no other option than to seek a gubernatorial appointment, county officials said Tuesday.
The Governor’s Office previously told Lake County News that it would make the appointment.
Only three members of the board were present for the Tuesday discussion. In addition to Scott’s vacant seat, Supervisor Jessica Pyska was absent.
In her brief report to the board during Tuesday’s meeting, County Administrative Officer Susan Parker said that on July 12, the board directed staff to draft a letter to the governor to ask him to fill Scott’s vacancy.
“We have prepared a draft for your review and consideration,” said Parker, who thanked County Counsel Anita Grant for her help in drafting the letter.
Supervisor Bruno Sabatier said that he wanted to clarify that, because of the date of Scott’s resignation, it was not possible to do an election in November.
“There does not appear to be a clear statutory path to allow that,” said Grant.
Board Chair EJ Crandell said Registrar of Voter Maria Valadez had reported in July that it would be difficult to conduct the special election.
The only public comment on the matter was submitted through eComment on the county’s website.
That comment came from Michael Green, a Lakeport City Council member who has shown particular interest in the seat and how it is filled.
“The appropriate board action at the appropriate time,” wrote Green, who had insisted in a July letter to the board that the seat needed to be appointed by the governor and not filled through a special election.
Supervisor Moke Simon moved to approve the letter, with Sabatier seconding and the board voting 3-0.
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Vacancy BOS Letter 1 by LakeCoNews on Scribd