Temporary County Administrator Is Appointed by Board

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday appointed assistant chief administrator Robert Hirtensteiner as interim county manager and hired a Los Angeles recruiter to search statewide for a permanent replacement.

The board voted to contract with Norman Roberts & Associates for $25,000 to conduct a search for a successor for veteran administrator Richard Wittenberg, who is leaving next month to take a new job. The search is expected to take about 90 days to complete.

“I feel very confident that this is a good move for this county,” Supervisor Maggie Kildee said. “This may be one of the biggest decisions that we will make because this person will certainly have a big impact on carrying out the policies that this board sets.”

Meanwhile, Hirtensteiner, 62, will assume the duties of interim administrator when Wittenberg leaves Jan. 21 to start his new job in Santa Clara County. Wittenberg, Ventura County’s top executive for 16 years, was in Santa Clara County on Tuesday to meet with officials there.

Hirtensteiner, who has worked in the county’s administrative office for 23 years, will serve as interim manager until March 31, when he will retire. The county, however, will contract with Hirtensteiner at a fee of $12,000 a month thereafter to help the new manager with the transition.

Although his name was mentioned as a possible permanent replacement for Wittenberg, Hirtensteiner said he had already made the decision to retire and did not wish to change his plans.

“I’m ready to look at other things in life besides working here at the county,” he said. “I’d like to do some traveling. . . . I would like to get involved in some community programs. I would just like to try some new challenges.”

Still, Hirtensteiner said he was looking forward to serving temporarily as the county’s top executive and did not anticipate any problems because of his longtime experience.

“This will be a natural transition,” he said. “I think I can do a very good job.”

Hirtensteiner has served as assistant administrator for 15 years. Prior to that, he worked eight years as a county budget manager and analyst.

Officials said Tuesday that Hirtensteiner’s two-month term as interim manager will save the county about $20,000 because his current post will not be filled during this time.

Indeed, Hirtensteiner said it is possible that the assistant administrator’s job might be abolished once he leaves because of continuing budget cutbacks. He said it will be up to the new administrator to decide whether to eliminate the position.

“We’re still in some financial difficulty, and we’re involved in some downsizing, and these are things that have to be taken into consideration,” he said.

During Tuesday’s board meeting, newly elected Supervisors Judy Mikels and Frank Schillo were asked to join the panel in its discussion over whether to hire an outside search firm to find a replacement for Wittenberg or to direct the county’s personnel department to perform the work itself.

Both Mikels and Schillo agreed with the board that hiring a private search firm would be beneficial because it would ensure that a comprehensive search was conducted for the best possible candidate. They also pointed out that the money saved from leaving the assistant administrator’s job vacant would help cover the cost of hiring the consultant.

Norman Roberts & Associates, the executive search firm hired by the county, previously conducted a search for a new fire chief. Officials cited the firm’s performance in that instance as one reason they decided to hire the consultant again.