Hufford Unveils Plan to Boost His Authority

County administrator Harry Hufford on Friday said he will ask the Board of Supervisors to create a chief financial officer position to help steer the county through the budget process, to expand his authority and to restructure the auditor’s powers.

Hufford said the moves, which drew support from three of the five board members, would streamline and add accountability to the county’s financial system, thereby making government run more effectively. The board will consider the proposal Tuesday.

In the 20-page letter to supervisors, Hufford recommended that the board:

* Immediately grant the chief administrative officer more direct oversight of budget and fiscal matters, action that essentially removes some authority from Auditor-Controller Tom Mahon.

* Adopt an ordinance that officially increases the CAO’s authority and clearly defines the duties of the position.

* Review the operations of county government to determine what other areas need to be restructured, which may mean limiting the fiscal decision-making powers now exercised by some department heads.

Hufford, who was hired on an interim basis to succeed Chief Administrative Officer David L. Baker, has pushed for more authority since arriving in January.

In April, board members asked Hufford to outline a plan to expand the powers of the job. He immediately agreed to stay through next year.

Increasing the CAO’s authority, Hufford said, would create a clear chain of command.

“I’m not a micro-manager,” Hufford said. “I don’t want to eliminate the advocacy of the department heads. But I also want to make sure we get on with the business of doing business.”

When Baker quit the top job after only four days, saying he lacked the authority to make effective changes, supervisors got the message “loud and clear,” Supervisor Frank Schillo said.

If the chief administrator doesn’t have top authority, “he is always going over to the auditor to see what’s going on, and that’s not right,” Schillo said.

“If the manager doesn’t have control of any of his costs, he doesn’t have any power.”

Supervisor John Flynn emphasized the need to restructure and simplify Mahon’s duties.

“I believe the CAO has the right to structure the budget,” Flynn said. “Mahon is an auditor and controller of funds, but he’s not a policymaker as far as I’m concerned.”

Mahon was unavailable for comment Friday.

A chief financial officer would not only supervise the work of the CAO’s budget analysts and track financial issues for each county department, he or she would focus the county’s needs for state lobbyists and lawmakers, Hufford said. Hufford hopes to fill such a position this summer.

Supervisor Kathy Long said Hufford’s plan redirects responsibility for budget issues to the board and the chief administrator.

In the past, department heads have lobbied board members for help during budget time, a process that has confused the county’s priorities, Schillo said. With a stronger CAO, the top administrator would be the key liaison to the board.

A chief financial officer “would have the whole financial forecasting management centralized and allow Mahon to do his job,” Long said.

Barry Hammitt, executive director for the Ventura County chapter of the Service Employees International Union, said a stronger CAO would simplify the process of negotiating contracts with the county.

“It makes more sense to me to have someone who is hired and fired by the board to be acting as negotiator,” Hammitt said. “It makes everybody’s life simpler.”