Countywide : VanderKolk Blasts Hire of Official’s Kin

A Ventura County supervisor has blasted a county department head for hiring the daughter of a high-ranking official at a time when the county is laying off employees.

In a terse letter, Supervisor Maria VanderKolk criticized Auditor-Controller Thomas O. Mahon for hiring the daughter of Peter S. Pedroff, director of the county’s General Services Agency. Several weeks ago, Mahon announced that he was laying off six employees in his department in preparation for state funding cuts.

“Both the public and county employees have been told that a hiring freeze is in effect and that many employees are at risk of losing their jobs as a result of the county’s dire fiscal situation,” VanderKolk wrote. “Under these conditions, your decision to hire the daughter of another high-ranking county official was not, in my opinion, judicious.”

Mahon has defended his decision to hire Cynthia Pedroff as a senior auditor, saying she had worked for the county before and had done an outstanding job.

“In addition to her proven technical qualifications, Cynthia has demonstrated other qualifications which indicate that she has potential to assume greater responsibilities,” Mahon responded in a letter to VanderKolk.

“To the best of my knowledge the only complaint seems to be that she selected the wrong father,” he wrote. “I have difficulty in holding this against her.”

VanderKolk also asked Ron Komers, county personnel director, to find out how many employees have been hired recently in other departments.