Ventura County Sheriff, Controller to Retire Early

Two of Ventura County’s top officials, Sheriff John Gillespie and Auditor Controller Norman R. Hawkes, have announced their plans to take early retirement.

Both men cited health reasons for their departures, although some county officials speculated Thursday that the announcements could also be related to growing pressure to cut financial perks for top county leaders.

Gillespie, 52, told his deputies in a letter Wednesday that he was retiring, effective Dec. 31. Hawkes, 58, informed his staff at a meeting Thursday that he plans to take early retirement, also in December.

On Tuesday, the board will consider a proposal by Supervisor John K. Flynn to scale back a benefit that provides seven extra weeks of pay annually to top county officials. Those benefiting included county supervisors, Gillespie, Hawkes, the district attorney, three other elected officials and the chief administrative officer.

Flynn’s recommendation followed an article in The Times disclosing that top county officials have been receiving large bonuses as part of a lucrative pay package. According to sources, the county is paying the top officials between $20,000 and $30,000 above their base salaries.

Both Flynn and Supervisor Maria VanderKolk said Thursday they doubted that a possible cutback in benefits was a factor for either Gillespie or Hawkes. But County Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury speculated that the impending cuts may have pushed Gillespie toward a retirement he was already considering.

“My hunch is that his reasons for retiring are exclusive of cuts in his compensation package, but those pending cuts affected the timing of his decision,” Bradbury said. “I know absolutely nothing about Mr. Hawkes’ situation.”

Gillespie, sheriff for the past eight years, urged the Board of Supervisors to appoint Undersheriff Larry Carpenter to finish his term, which ends in 1995. Carpenter declined to comment on Gillespie’s departure.

Meanwhile, longtime county assistant Auditor Controller Tom Mahon said he will seek Hawkes’ position.

Times staff writer Mack Reed contributed to this report.