On Tuesday, Jan. 10, three supervisors and the new county auditor-controller were sworn into office at the beginning of the first Riverside County Board of Supervisors meeting for 2023. Following that, new board officers were elected.
Supervisors Karen Spiegel (2nd District) and V. Manuel Perez (4th District), who were unopposed, and Yxstian Gutierrez (5th District), who defeated former Supervisor Jeff Hewitt, began their four-year terms. Also, Ben Benoit was sworn in as auditor-controller after defeating incumbent Paul Angulo.
Pat Cooper, Perez’s deputy chief of staff, administered the oath of office to him. He then thanked his family, parents and others whose support helped him “… to achieve this goal to be standing before you as supervisor.” He also thanked his staff, county staff and his campaign staff for their help.
Economic development, public safety, and health and human services are his priorities for this year, he noted.
“One area that I want to concentrate on, and I say this loud and clear to folks back home and to my colleagues because I need their support, to assure to build out affordable housing and to assure we have infrastructure so people here have clean drinking water and access to housing,” he concluded. “That is the struggle I face every single day in the east end of the Coachella Valley, Oasis, North Shore, Mecca. The infrastructure needs are huge, they are enormous, but I have the team to make it happen.”
Benoit was sworn in by his mother, Sheryl Benoit, while his sister Sarah held the family Bible on which he placed his hand. He is the son of former state senator and former 4th District Supervisor John J. Benoit who died in 2016.
In his comments, Benoit said, “I want to make sure the county can do better — all communities and also the voices not here today.”
“I promise the supervisors and [County Executive Officer] Jeff Van Wagenen you will have the tools and trust that you need to know how much money we have, how much money we can spend and [that] it’s being spent correctly.”
Following the swearing in, Kevin Jeffries, 1st District, was elected chair of the board for 2023 and Supervisor Chuck Washington (3rd District) was elected vice chair.
Given the traditional rotation of board officers, Washington would have been the board chair this year, followed by Jeffries next year. However, in 2023, Washington is serving as president of the State Association of Counties, so he asked and Jeffries agreed, to swap years.
Among their duties as a board member, Perez will serve as chair of the Housing Committee and Washington as chair of the Regional Parks Committee.
Also, both supervisors recommended that the ad hoc committee on short-term rentals (STRs) be continued. Both will serve on it since the county areas with the majority of STRs are in both of their districts — the Wine Country in the 3rd and the Hill in the 4th.
State senators
The Hill’s two state senators began their terms in December, but have recently received the committee assignments. Sen. Eduardo Garcia (D-36th District) will continue to chair the Utilities and Energy Committee.
Sen. Kelly Seyarto (R-32nd District) will serve on nine Senate committees for the 2023-24 legislative session. He will serve as vice-chair of the Government and Finance and the Natural Resources and Water.
The other committees on which Seyarto will serve include: Appropriations, Budget and Fiscal Review (Budget Subcommittee #5 on Corrections, Public Safety, Judiciary, Labor and Transportation), Energy, Utilities, and Communications, Governmental Organization, Housing, Transportation, and Joint Legislative Audit.
