Natural but Temporary Shift to Top County Job : Personnel: He’s filling in for his former boss, yet Robert C. Hirtensteiner says he has no interest in seeking chief administrator post.

When veteran county Administrator Richard Wittenberg announced he had taken another job in Santa Clara County, there was little doubt over who would replace him--at least temporarily.

Robert C. Hirtensteiner, Wittenberg’s longtime assistant, was the natural choice, officials said.

“He’s been around a long time, and he has significant skills,” Supervisor Maggie Kildee said.

Indeed, during his 23 years in the chief administrator’s office, Hirtensteiner has been asked at various times to serve as interim manager of a wide range of departments, from health care to general services. On two occasions, he served as fire chief.

“I’ve covered a lot of bases,” he said, motioning to a picture on his office wall taken in 1980. The picture shows Hirtensteiner, then acting fire chief, posing with fire prevention mascots Smoky Bear and Sparky.

Because of his extensive government experience, assuming the top job has been a natural transition for the 62-year-old Hirtensteiner.

“Richard and I worked very well together,” he said. “His expertise, in my opinion, was dealing with the board and the political and legislative end. Mine was always the inside operations, taking care of the day-to-day problems.”

Bert Bigler, the county’s budget manager, said Hirtensteiner is so well-versed in the job that there has been no noticeable change in the administrator’s office since Wittenberg left.

“So far, it’s been like Richard’s away on vacation,” he said.

Yet for all his experience, Hirtensteiner said he has no interest in applying for the administrator’s job. In fact, he will officially retire March 31, after which he will contract with the county on a month-to-month basis until a permanent replacement is found.

Hirtensteiner said he made the decision to retire before Wittenberg announced he was leaving and does not wish to change his plans.

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Besides, Hirtensteiner, whose professional and educational background is in accounting and computers, said he does not consider himself to be a strong candidate for the job because of one major weakness: He hates politics.

“My expertise does not lend itself toward getting involved in the political end of it,” he said. “I don’t feel I’m as effective as other people could be . . . so I would not be the best candidate.”

Kildee said Hirtensteiner “evaluates himself very well.”

“I think Bob would rather just do his job and do it without having to figure out the politics,” she said.

Since taking over as interim county administrator in January, Hirtensteiner has become all too aware of just how much politics can be involved.

Last week, six top county elected officials distributed a so-called white paper to the media listing their recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on dealing with a $41.7-million budget shortfall. The white paper was issued one day before Hirtensteiner’s own budget report was made public.

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Hirtensteiner declined comment on the release of the white paper--which contained many of the same recommendations outlined in his report--except to say that “it was interesting timing.”

Still, during the short time he has been in the job, Hirtensteiner said he has gained a new appreciation for his former boss.

“Until you’ve actually stepped into someone else’s moccasins, you don’t know what it’s like,” he said.

Hirtensteiner said the county’s biggest and most immediate challenge is resolving its financial troubles. But he said it’s the same challenge that most other counties are facing because the state continues to take more property tax dollars away from counties every year.

“We are going through a difficult time right now, but we’ll get through it,” he said.

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Although a statewide search for a new chief administrator is already under way, Hirtensteiner figures it could be late April or even May before a new manager is in place.

Los Angeles consultant Norman Roberts, whom the county hired to find a county manager, said so far he has received about 40 applications for the job from candidates within the county as well as around the state. The deadline to file applications is Friday.

Roberts said he is pleased with the response and expects to receive at least another two dozen applicants.

“We’re very happy with the response we’ve gotten so far,” he said. “Ventura County enjoys a very good reputation. It’s stable, it’s a good size and it’s a great place to live.”

Several county officials said they are interested in the job but have not actually applied. They include Penny Bohannon, county lobbyist and legislative analyst; Bert Bigler, the county’s budget manager, and Simi Valley City Manager Lin Koester.

“I have a general interest, but I haven’t made any decision as of yet,” said Koester, who served as director of the county’s Resource Management Agency from 1971 to 1979. “I love my job in Simi Valley.”

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Roberts said he plans to present a list of candidates to the board during a closed meeting either at the end of this month or the first week of March. Once the list is narrowed by the supervisors, Roberts said, more extensive background checks and interviews can begin.

Kildee said the new manager should have some expertise in government finances, but that this should not necessarily be the top priority. She said management skills, knowledge of state and federal legislation and the ability to deal with the political realities of the job may be more important.

“Having a strong financial background is good, but that’s not all of the job,” she said. “Directing where the money goes may be the easiest part of the job.”

Even after the new county manager is hired, Hirtensteiner said, he will probably stay on board for at least a month to help in the transition.

Looking back on his own career, Hirtensteiner said he believes he had the best job in the county, “even better than Richard’s.”

Hirtensteiner began his career with the county in 1971 as a computer specialist, before moving on to budget analyst.

Believing he was in line to be promoted to county budget manager, Hirtensteiner said he was stunned when Wittenberg asked him in 1979 to be his assistant.

“I was flabbergasted,” he said. “I thought Richard was looking for something different. But I look back on it now and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Although he never made it to the top job, Hirtensteiner said that suits him just fine.

“I wanted to be the best No. 2 man in the state,” he said. “I had no problem with that because I like to be low key. I’m not one who needs to have credit or a pat on the back. I just want to get the job done.”