An employee filed a grievance over White’s conduct and official duties. The county is investigating. White asked the Board of Supervisors to recognize a conflict between her and the county counsel’s office. She wants permission to hire her own attorney at the county’s expense.
At the Oct. 13 meeting, supervisors paused discussion. Supervisor Kevin Goss raised questions about whether the item followed proper agenda rules. White’s attorney, Christopher Bakes, presented a thick packet of documents. Goss refused to accept it because the information was not shared with supervisors or the public before the meeting. This could violate California’s Brown Act, which governs open meetings.
Goss called to delay the discussion until everyone could review the documents. Board Chair Mimi Hall allowed limited discussion based on advice from Deputy County Counsel Sara James. County Counsel Joshua Brechtel did not attend.
White has served as treasurer-tax collector since 2011. She lost her bid for a fourth term in June. The winner, Katharine Clift Clubb, takes office in January. White has worked offsite since August 1.
The dispute centers on whether the ongoing investigation counts as a legal proceeding. If it does, White can hire an independent attorney. James said the investigation is an administrative fact-finding action, not a legal proceeding. Bakes argued the opposite. He said White cannot get fair representation from the county counsel’s office.
Hall said the county hired an outside investigator to handle employee grievances. This keeps county counsel and other officials from direct involvement. She said no one must get legal help for such investigations.
Bakes called the investigation a proceeding. He said a fact finder will gather evidence and communicate with county counsel under attorney-client privilege.
White and Bakes also questioned the choice of Christopher Ko as investigator. White said Ko’s firm previously investigated a case involving her name, making them partial.
Hall said calling this a conflict is premature. The investigation has no findings yet. She said the supervisors don’t know the issue well enough to decide on a conflict.
Goss pushed again to table the item, asking why the board had to discuss it without full information. Supervisor Jeff Engel said they want to resolve the grievance fairly. He accepted paying Bakes if needed but reminded that each meeting costs county money.
This request echoes a 2023 conflict between White and county officials. That dispute involved Human Resources Director Nancy Selvage, former County Administrative
