Supervisors abstain on vote for board chair

Tuesday, Jan. 11, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors held its first meeting of 2022. This is when the board chooses its chair and vice chair for the year.

Traditionally, the vice chair from the previous year is elevated to chair for the current year.

During 2021, Supervisor Jeff Hewitt (5th District) was board vice chair. Outgoing Chair Supervisor Karen Spiegel (2nd District) nominated him to become board chair and Supervisor Kevin Jeffries (1st District) to be the vice chair for 2022.

The vote, three “yes” and two “abstain,” was a surprise on what is typically a perfunctory unanimous vote since the roles are rotated among the supervisors. At least since 2018, when Supervisor Chuck Washington (3rd District) was selected chair, these votes have been unanimous.

This year, Washington and Supervisor V. Manuel Perez (4th District) both abstained. In 2020, when Jeffries was chosen chair, both voted “yes.”

In an email to the Town Crier, Joe Pradetto, Washington’s chief of staff, wrote, “The process to select a new chairman for the Board of Supervisors was handled differently this year. The process was prescribed by board policy. The supervisor abstained on the vote because he supported the process but was split on the rotation.”

Perez’s staff has been asked why he abstained, but has not yet responded.

Not only did Washington abstain on the vote for Hewitt to become the board’s chair, but Thursday, Yxstian Gutierrez, Moreno Valley mayor, who is challenging Hewitt in the District 5 supervisorial election this year, announced that Washington has endorsed him.

“I’m honored to have the support of Supervisor Chuck Washington. His endorsement is one of the first times in recent memory that a sitting Riverside County supervisor has endorsed against another elected-sitting supervisor,” Gutierrez wrote on his campaign’s Facebook page.

Speculation is that the reason for the abstentions, and possibly the opposition to a colleague, relates to the county’s settlement of a sexual harassment charge against Hewitt in April 2021.

In November 2020, Nasim Nicole Hamrang filed a claim with the county that Hewitt sexually harassed her in May 2020 while he was touring a skilled nursing facility in Cherry Valley. In early April 2021, it was reported that the county negotiated a settlement with Hamrang, including $50,000 for her.

At the board’s next session April 13, Washington expressed concern that the county made the payment and in open session he asked Hewitt to reimburse the county for it.

“I was aware of the claim … of sexual harassment, and we asked the county counsel to seek negotiation because of possible high dollar amount coming toward the county,” Washington said. “I never was aware the county would foot the bill if settlement were reached.

“I asked Supervisor Hewitt to do the honorable thing and to reimburse the county,” he continued. “Taxpayers shouldn’t pay the bill.”

Hewitt took umbrage in response and said that he “… had little to nothing to do with anything.”

He adamantly refused to reimburse the county and replied, “How dare you ask me to come up and pay that when I had nothing to do with the way it was settled.”

Washington did not continue the discussion and simply responded, “I asked and you said ‘no’ and that’s it. But the taxpayers are not happy they’re paying $50,000.”

Perez did express hope for a compromise.

The week before this exchange, Brenda Dennstedt filed her claim for harassment and wrongful termination against Hewitt and his Chief of Staff Boomer Shannon. This incident allegedly occurred in November 2020.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the board voted to deny this claim.

After Tuesday’s vote for board officers, Hewitt assumed his place as chair of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.