A longtime lawyer for Santa Clara County will grow to be its new CEO, commanding one of many area’s strongest native authorities posts for an space with large financial affect because the world’s expertise capitol.
James R. Williams, who has served as county counsel since 2016, was appointed to the place by the Board of Supervisors in closed session on Oct. 17 and was formally confirmed 4-1 at Tuesday’s public board assembly. Williams, 38, will change Jeff Smith, who has served as county government since 2009.
Regardless of the historic appointment — Williams would be the youngest county government in Santa Clara County historical past and likewise the primary particular person of coloration to carry the place — it was not with out controversy. Some county officers stated the appointment course of lacked transparency, main one supervisor to vote no throughout Tuesday’s assembly.
The CEO position oversees 1.9 million county residents, greater than 20,000 county staff and a gargantuan $11 billion price range, similar to the gross home product of the Bahamas. Not like neighboring counties, Santa Clara additionally has an in depth well being care infrastructure that features three hospitals.
Williams will work intently with the five-member governing board, serving to implement coverage and price range selections whereas additionally managing 42 totally different county workplaces.
“I’m tremendously honored and excited,” Williams stated in an interview. “I’m completely excited to tackle this new problem.”
Smith, who will vacate the workplace on July 1 of subsequent 12 months, described Williams as very gifted.
“James has a number of expertise. So I feel it's a sensible choice.” Smith, 68, stated throughout Tuesday’s board assembly through which he additionally introduced he has developed Parkinson’s, a mind dysfunction that primarily impacts motor abilities. He stated that it hasn’t impacted his duties as county government.
The present CEO additionally stated that Williams’ appointment helps counter the disruption that different county departments have lately confronted. On Monday, Sheriff Laurie Smith introduced she would instantly retire within the wake of a civil corruption trial. Williams’ wage will probably be set at 10% above the county’s chief working officer, or $460,373.
Whereas the board formalized Williams’ appointment in mid-October, Smith’s retirement announcement on Oct. 27 didn't point out that the board already had discovered a substitute.
Supervisor Cindy Chavez, who's working for the San Jose mayor’s seat, voted in opposition to Williams’ appointment, although she stated that she thought he was certified for the position.
“I feel we're lacking a chance to interact with the neighborhood,” Chavez stated, suggesting at one level to delay the appointment by two weeks so extra members of the general public might weigh in.
Longtime Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone, who has served in his position since 1994, stated that the dearth of public dialogue about who would change Smith was “completely inconsistent” with what has occurred prior to now.
“My concern is that it's not an open, clear and deliberative course of,” Stone stated.
He stated he didn’t essentially oppose Williams as the brand new CEO however believed there must be extra public deliberations for such a particularly vital place.
Johnny Khamis, a candidate within the county’s Supervisorial District 1 race, described the method as “disgusting.”
“He could also be the perfect man for the job,” stated Khamis, a former San Jose councilmember. “They didn’t even have any public dialogue on why he’s the perfect for the job. Why can’t we've neighborhood group weigh in? What are they afraid of?”
Each Williams and Smith deferred questions in regards to the hiring course of to board members, although Williams stated selections about board appointments are “all the time in closed session.”
Throughout Monday’s assembly, Supervisor Susan Ellenberg defended the choice.
“The board units route, tone and coverage for this group,” she stated. “And we try this in public. We make all personnel selections relating to any of the board-appointed positions in closed session in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act.”
Mike Wasserman didn't reply to a request for remark. A spokesperson for Supervisor Otto Lee’s workplace declined to remark. A spokesperson for Chavez’s workplace deferred to the supervisors’ feedback throughout Tuesday’s assembly, whereas a spokesperson for Joe Simitian deferred to a information launch despatched out Tuesday by the county.
A baby of immigrants from Iran and India and raised by a single mom, Williams obtained his regulation diploma from Stanford College. Williams’ profession with the county began in 2010 when he was employed as a Social Justice & Influence Litigation Fellow and later grew to become Deputy County Counsel.
Throughout Williams’ six years main the county counsel’s workplace, he oversaw litigation in opposition to a number of Trump Administration government orders and inherited authorized challenges in opposition to each lead paint and pharmaceutical firms.
Extra lately, Williams labored with the county’s well being division to implement public well being orders throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that have been a few of the strictest within the area — and generally controversial. The county helped push different leaders within the Bay Space to be the primary within the nation to lock down 6 million residents and banned organized sports activities from gathering for a quick interval in late 2020.
The county has additionally pursued authorized motion in opposition to companies and different entities which have refused to abide by their pandemic well being orders.
That technique, led by Williams, has resulted in a chronic authorized battle between the county and San Jose’s Calvary Chapel, which flouted the county’s well being necessities throughout the peak of the pandemic and racked up tens of millions in fines.
On the finish of September, Williams’ workplace filed a petition to the California Supreme Court docket asking that they overview a ruling by a decrease courtroom that freed the church from paying 1 / 4 million dollars in contempt-of-court charges. The courtroom has till the tip of November to determine whether or not to take up the case.