Los Angeles County Supervisors voted in a closed session to appoint interim Chief Executive Sachi Hamai to the position permanently.
The county has been without a permanent chief executive for nearly a year, since William T Fujioka retired in November. The chief executive’s office is responsible for drafting the county’s budget, negotiating labor agreements and overseeing a range of contracts and projects commissioned by the board.
The supervisors in recent months voted to restructure the CEO’s office, taking some authority from the chief executive and giving it back to the five-member Board of Supervisors. Hamai played a key part in writing the rules for the new structure, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Prior to her appointment to the interim position, Hamai had served as executive officer to the board, responsible for preparing meeting agendas and handling administrative tasks. She had worked for the county for nearly two decades before that, including in the auditor-controller’s office and the department of health services.
Supervisor Sheila Kuehl said the board had commissioned an evaluation of Hamai’s performance by a consultant.
“We were all very pleased with her performance,” Kuehl said in remarks reported by The Times. “She gets things done….She’s very thoughtful, very efficient, she knows the budget like the back of her hand.”
Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich said in a statement that Hamai “has been an outstanding county leader throughout her career and has excelled as our Interim CEO.”
The board will finalize the appointment next week after negotiating Hamai’s salary and other elements of the contract. Her current salary is $310,000, according to The Times.
—Staff and wire reports