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News comes to iePolitics this weekend that the expected and highly anticipated departure of County Counsel Ruth Stringer has been placed on a delay track pending the hiring of a new county administrative officer to replace Mark Uffer.
Uffer was recently dismissed by a 3-2 majority vote of the board of supervisors.
Over the past several months, Stringer’s status has risen to that of embattled in a backdrop of growing discontent among county supervisors, over her conduct related to closed session and attorney-client privilege matters.
Also, in addition to a continuous display of extreme arrogance, reliable sources say Stringer privately refers to herself as the “Mother Hen” to the board members and their group of relatively young chiefs of staff. Apparently this conduct is now perceived has having manifested into a tone of defiance towards the board.
Stringer as County Counsel is a direct report to the five-member Board of Supervisors. Her position is “At-Will”.
Another point of concern to county supervisors is the extensive contracting-out of legal defense work at a significantly high cost to taxpayers. One factor driving the outside contracting is the lack of experienced litigators within the ranks of the fifty or so lawyers.
Finally, county departments over the past year have openly demonstrated a lack of confidence in the quality of legal advice they are forced to rely upon in making day-to-day business decisions.
It remains to be seen how much longer Stringer will remain and whether or not the decision to delay her departure comes back to haunt the board.
Only time will tell.
Cactus Thorns has been online in one form or the other since 2001. What started as a personal blog documenting the corruption and lack of Due Process of the 29 Palms Community Development Department has turned into over these many years into a hugely popular Independent Alternative News Media Outlet. We have partnered with other media including The Desert Star Weekly, Joshua Tree Star, other blogs, indie media and an incredible staff of volunteer Reporters, Commentators and Opinion Makers to create one of the most read, honest and dependable alternative to the Local traditional Media services in the country. Thanks to you the reader we are in the 5% of most read sites in the World.
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Two steps in the right direction. Thanks in part to Supervisor Derry.