SD County to replace longtime treasurer after sudden retirement
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San Diego County is replacing one of its top elected officials, after the sudden retirement of Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister last week.
The big picture: McAllister announced his retirement in a press release last week, with Aug. 1 as his final day.
- His is one of just four countywide elected offices, along with the district attorney, sheriff and assessor-recorder-clerk.
- McAllister has been in office for 23 years after being elected to six terms.
It's not the sexiest job title, but the treasurer-tax collector selects the investments for an $18 billion joint fund that includes not just the county but also every K-12 school district and community college district, eight independent cities, 16 water and fire districts, both transit districts and SANDAG.
What's next: McAllister's announcement did not provide a reason for his departure, which comes amid the county board of directors' summer legislative recess, which ends Aug. 26. His office did not respond to a request for more details Tuesday.
- The board will start the process of replacing McAllister at its Aug. 26 meeting. That replacement would finish his term, which runs into 2026.
- Myrna Zambrano, the assistant treasurer-tax collector, will take over the office's day-to-day responsibilities until the board appoints a replacement, county spokesperson Tammy Glenn told Axios.
How it works: Per county policy, the board would open a window for applications for anyone interested in completing the term.
- The applicants would each make their case at the following board meeting on Sept. 9, the earliest day the board could make a decision, or it could opt to narrow the pool and make a decision at a second meeting.
Between the lines: McAllister, a Republican, opened a vacancy in his countywide office just weeks after Supervisor Paloma Aguirre won a special election to represent the south county district, again giving Democrats a 3-2 majority on the board.
- If that majority can agree on a candidate, that means they're in position to appoint a Democrat to the seat.
- That Democratic majority appointed an interim county counsel last week, after the county's top lawyer abruptly left office one day after Aguirre's inauguration.