Debate on Replacing Wittenberg Begins : Government: Some favor a local search for the county’s next chief administrator, but others say it should be nationwide.

The day after Ventura County’s veteran chief administrator announced he is leaving to take a new job, officials were already debating when to begin the process of finding a replacement for Richard Wittenberg--and how far to stray in the search.

While some of the officials who will hire Wittenberg’s successor said Thursday that the search should be nationwide, others favored hiring a local candidate whose credentials are known and not wasting any time.

And it was clear that some local candidates already had strong backers among the county supervisors who will hire a new chief executive after Wittenberg, the county’s top manager for 16 years, leaves for Santa Clara County on Jan. 23.

“My initial reaction is to hire a research firm to conduct a nationwide search,” Supervisor Maggie Kildee said. “I’d like to cast the net as wide as possible to make sure we have the best candidate we can find.”

But Supervisor John Flynn said he favors looking for a replacement within the county before launching a more extensive search.

“We have some outstanding city managers here in the county and people internally who could fill the position superbly,” Flynn said.

Flynn suggested Simi Valley City Manager Lin Koester and Thousand Oaks City Manager Grant Brimhall as candidates. “Those two have great capabilities,” Flynn said.

Others mentioned by officials as potential replacements for Wittenberg include:

* Penny Bohannon, county lobbyist and legislative analyst;

* Pierre Durand, administrator of Ventura County Medical Center;

* Robert Hirtensteiner, county assistant administrative officer;

* James McBride, county counsel;

* Marty Robinson, county deputy administrative officer.

“All of them are very capable people who have done outstanding jobs where they are now,” Kildee said. “But I’d still like to look at other chief executive officers.”

Flynn cited advantages in selecting a local applicant for the job. “They would be familiar with the issues, and we would know them and their capabilities,” he said.

Indeed, recruiting a new county manager may not be so easy. Santa Clara County, for example, had been courting Wittenberg for 14 months before he agreed Wednesday to become that county’s top executive.

“There are not a lot of people who want to work in county government,” Santa Clara County Supervisor Ron Gonzales said. “Counties are being squeezed financially, so the jobs tend not to look so attractive.”

Despite the high cost of housing here and continuing budget problems, Ventura County has some qualities that could make recruiting easier, Kildee said. “Ventura County is an attractive place to live, and I think it has a reputation for being a well-run county,” she said.

Kildee said the county should hire a search firm as soon as possible.

But Supervisor Susan Lacey said the board should wait until two newly elected supervisors who take office Jan. 3--Frank Schillo and Judy Mikels--are sworn in. And she favors a candidate with county experience.

“Running a city and running a county are two different critters,” she said.

Schillo and Mikels split on the scope of the search and whether it should begin right away.

Schillo said the search should be nationwide but should not begin until January.

“It seems appropriate that the five people who will make the final decision have some input on setting the parameters” for hiring, he said.

Mikels said she would like to consider local managers first and that the search should begin immediately.

Like Flynn, she said Simi Valley manager Koester would be an ideal candidate. He was director of the county’s Resource Management Agency from 1971 to 1979.

“The next question is, would he be interested?” Mikels said.

Koester did not rule out the possibility.

“I have a general interest,” he said. “But it’s too premature to throw my hat in the ring.”

For Koester or Brimhall, the reason for moving to the county would not be financial, officials said. They are already the highest-paid city managers in the county, with base salaries comparable to Wittenberg’s $123,600 a year.

“I think it would be more of a career incentive,” Mikels said.

Bohannon said she will apply.

“I did apply for a CAO’s job in Solano County,” she said. “But Ventura County is home.”

County officials said Hirtensteiner may be asked to serve as Wittenberg’s temporary replacement. But he would not comment on his own prospects for the job.