To: Board of Supervisors of Sonoma County
Department or Agency Name(s): County Counsel
Staff Name and Phone Number: Deputy County Counsel Kristin Horrell, (707) 565-2421
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
County of Sonoma Conflict of Interest Code Update
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt the Resolution amending the County’s Conflict of Interest Code
end
Executive Summary:
This item amends the County’s Conflict of Interest Code (COIC). A COIC identifies the public officials, employees and consultants who are required to file statements of economic interest (Form 700s) and which financial interests must be disclosed for each respective position. COICs provide transparency to ensure government employees are not making decisions to promote their own financial interests.
State law requires every agency amend its conflict of interest code when change is necessitated by changed circumstances, including the creation of new positions and relevant changes in the duties assigned to existing positions. Since the County’s most recent COIC amendment in January 2025 pursuant to the biennial review process, some County departments have determined that changes are necessary to their designated employee list. The County’s COIC therefore needs to be amended.
Discussion:
This item amends the County of Sonoma’s Conflict of Interest Code (“COIC”).
State law requires that each local agency adopt a COIC identifying (1) those positions in which officers or employees make or participate in making governmental decisions that affect government spending (“designated employees”), and (2) the types of personal interests which could be affected by those decisions (“disclosure categories”).
Biennially, each local agency is required to review its COIC to determine if any changes need to be made. The County most recently conducted this biennial review in July 2024, with the County’s amended COIC approved by the Board of Supervisors in January 2025. Local agencies are also required to amend their COIC anytime a change is necessitated by changed circumstances, including the creation of new positions and relevant changes in the duties assigned to existing positions. Since the January 2025 amendment to the County’s COIC, changes have occurred within County departments that require additional amendments to the County’s COIC.
Appendix A to the attached resolution designates the County’s COIC disclosure categories. Appendix B to the attached resolution reflects the changes to the designated employee lists of certain County departments and offices, which collectively, make up the County’s COIC.
County departments that are amending their designated employees list are the Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector, the Department of Child Support Services, the Department of Health Services, the Independent Office of Law Enforcement and Outreach (IOLERO) and the Public Defender.
Specific revisions to each department’s list of designated employees are as follows:
Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector: Adds Internal Audit Committee members from the newly created Internal Audit Committee as designated employees.
Department of Child Support Services: Removes the distinction of IV to the Child Support Attorney position to encompass all Child Support Attorneys as designated employees
Department of Health Services: Adds positions of Senior Department Human Resources Manager and Special Projects Director - Project as designated employees.
Independent Office of Law Enforcement and Outreach: Adds position of Chief Deputy Law Enforcement Auditor and updates disclosure categories for existing designated positions.
Public Defender: Adds Department Analyst as a designated employee.
Adoption of the attached resolution will amend the County’s COIC.
Strategic Plan:
NA
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
January 28, 2025 - County of Sonoma Conflict of Interest Code Update
Biennially, the County has amended its Conflict of Interest Code
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY24-25 Adopted |
FY25-26 Projected |
FY26-27 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
|
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
This item is administrative in nature and there are no fiscal impacts associated with it.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
NA
Attachments:
Resolution amending the County’s conflict of interest code
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A