Administrator Says He’s Considering Retirement

Ventura County’s chief administrator, Lin Koester, has told the Board of Supervisors that he is considering stepping down this year, possibly before the budget process is concluded in June, a supervisor said Tuesday.

“He has expressed to the whole board that he was thinking about retiring some time this year, probably the first part of the year,” Supervisor John K. Flynn said.

Koester, 57, said Tuesday that he has not made a firm decision.

Simi Valley City Manager Mike Sedell, who succeeded Koester in that position, said Koester is simply considering his options.

“It has to do with what he wants for his own personal life, and other things he might accomplish elsewhere, more than any set of political circumstances,” Sedell said.

Koester said he never viewed his $150,456-a-year position as a long-term job. After serving as city manager of Simi Valley for 16 years, he was tapped to replace former county administrator Richard Wittenberg in May 1995.

Koester said then that he did not intend to hold the job longer than five years. Now in his fourth year, “I’m in the ballpark,” Koester said. “But I enjoy my job very much and still feel very productive.”

His contract expires July 16, an official in the auditor-controller’s office said.