There could be a new sheriff in town by the middle of February.
Today, County Administrator Richard Egan told the Lassen Board of Supervisors that the application deadline for Sheriff was reached yesterday, and there have been three applicants, adding that several options were available to the board to review those who applied.
County counsel advised that the interviews with the candidates should be completed in closed session, harking back to lessons learned when interviews were held in an open session for County Auditor, which proved not beneficial to the community and the applicant.
Considering the significance of this position, Counsel has recommended that both the board and the applicant have the flexibility to explore the applicant’s qualifications thoroughly and “ask the hard” questions.
Under closed session, there will be restrictions on what can be discussed as detailed by County Counsel, including salary discussions.
The board considered when to conduct the closed session for interviews, and it was determined to hold a special meeting the first week of February. If a straightforward appointment is agreed upon, that announcement of who the next Lassen County Sheriff will be could likely be made at the board’s next regular scheduled meeting on February 13th.
The appointment of the Sheriff by the board came after the retirement of Dean Growdon, who had served in the position for the past 13 years and still had five years remaining in his term. As there was no provision for a special election in state law, the board of supervisors was required to make the appointment.
The next election cycle for County Sheriff won’t be held until 2028.
