SANDAG interim chief Clementson resigns from scandal-plagued transportation agency

Catch up quick: She was a top executive under former CEO Hasan Ikhrata before taking over as interim chief in December, but will not return to her deputy CEO role.

• Mario Orso, SANDAG's new CEO, begins on June 17, and Clementson's last day is June 14.

Friction point: Orso takes over an agency facing a federal investigation following the revelation that it improperly charged drivers on a South Bay toll road.

• Ikhrata also turned it into a political lightning rod, over plans to reorient San Diego into a transit-focused region in part by charging drivers a per-mile fee.

The bottom line: After Ikhrata – and Clementson — spent five years selling San Diego on a less highway-focused transportation plan, SANDAG is now in the hands of Orso, who spent three decades with Caltrans, the state's highway department.

• Ikhrata's predecessor, Gary Gallegos, also came to SANDAG from Caltrans.

What we're watching: Voters in the fall will be asked whether to increase sales taxes countywide for freeway and transit projects.