County Fire Chief Lund Will Retire : Government: He says he has lost motivation for the job. The department has been scrutinized for its spending practices.

Frustrated by a recent barrage of criticism toward his department, Ventura County Fire Chief George Lund said Wednesday that he will retire at the end of the month.

Lund, a 27-year department veteran who has been chief for four years, said he no longer has the “motivation and the tenacity to keep going” in the job.

“This department has been good to me,” said Lund, 53. “It has been a part of my life for so long. But it has gotten to the point I have doubted my contributions.”

Lund--whose department has been under intense scrutiny because of its spending practices--submitted a letter of his intentions to county Chief Administrative Officer Richard Wittenberg early Wednesday.

The fire chief’s announcement came just one day after a showdown with the county supervisors, who opted to bypass the county Fire Department when allocating an expected $26 million in sales tax revenue raised though Proposition 172 next year.

While the supervisors said they did not want to give the Fire Department any more money until officials streamlined operations, Lund said he felt betrayed by the board’s action.

But, he said, “I can’t say yesterday was the reason. There have been so many things that have happened. . . . The job has become very, very difficult.”

County officials said they are sorry Lund is leaving.

“I know there have been a lot of frustrations,” Wittenberg said. “But I think George has been a very fine chief and has done a very fine job.”

Lund’s decision to step down could force the Board of Supervisors to go outside the department to find a successor. Deputy Chief Robert Holaway, who normally would be a candidate for the job, said he is just as frustrated as Lund and doesn’t want the position, which pays up to $96,590 a year.

“I’m looking to retire in the near future too,” Holaway said. “The times are just very hard right now. The public is more critical of government service. We are in a very difficult position.”

For six months, Lund has been under tremendous pressure from the supervisors to reform his 443-employee department. In October, a county audit concluded that the department is top-heavy with managers, spends too much on overtime and is lax with its sick-leave policy.

Although Lund disputed the audit’s findings, the supervisors formed a citizens panel to recommend ways to solve the problems outlined in the report. The panel is expected to issue its findings within the next few months.

While Lund said he would be willing to make improvements in the department, he questioned whether county officials fully understand the complexity of the Fire Department, which must be prepared to respond to any emergency.

He said he believed county officials are trying to run the department like a government office.

“There is so much micromanaging going on,” Lund said.

Ken Maffei, president of the Ventura County Professional Firefighters’ Assn., said he was not surprised by Lund’s decision to retire, especially after the supervisors voted to exclude the department from the Proposition 172 funding.

“They have just beat him down,” Maffei said. “There have been rumors going around for a couple of weeks that he was going to retire. I wish I was going with him, that’s the sentiment of the majority of the guys in the department.

“We are tired of being betrayed by the Board of Supervisors.”

County Supervisor Maggie Kildee defended the county’s actions, however, saying the board was only seeking ways to improve the department.

“Changes are not easy to make,” Kildee said.

Lund said he began considering retirement months ago, an option he discussed extensively with his wife. Under the county’s pension plan, public safety workers are allowed to retire after 20 years of service, regardless of their age.

He joined the department as a firefighter at age 25. During his tenure with the organization, he has held a variety of positions, including assistant chief and deputy chief. He was named to the top position in 1990.

Lund said he is ready for a break.

“For a while I’m just going to catch up on the those projects on the house I have neglected for too long,” he said.

Profile of

George E. Lund

Position: Ventura County fire chief

Age: 53

City of residence: Ventura

Career highlights: Lund joined the Ventura County Fire Department in 1967 as a firefighter. He was promoted to fire battalion chief in 1976. In 1988, he was named assistant fire chief and in 1989 he was promoted to deputy chief of fire services. A year later, Lund was named chief of the 443-employee department. He was selected from 100 applicants recruited nationwide.

Family: Married with two children, ages 27 and 29.

Future plans: After his retirement, effective March 31, he will spend more time with his family and travel.