The Imperial County Board of Supervisors voted Sept. 30 to appoint Jeffrey Holbrook as the county's next county counsel, with the appointment effective Oct. 20, 2025, and approved an employment agreement that assigns new countywide duties to the office.

The board approved the appointment following a staff recommendation that the county's recruitment identified Holbrook as the most qualified candidate. The board packet and staff presentation said the county counsel's office will take on a wider scope of work including development and oversight of a countywide ethics and compliance program, management of equal employment opportunity (EEO) functions, internal investigations, claims and litigation oversight, and collaboration on risk management and human resources structure.

Why it matters: Moving ethics, EEO and internal investigations under county counsel centralizes legal oversight and policy enforcement in one office, which the board described as intended to reduce outside counsel costs and provide quicker legal direction to county leadership.

County staff described Holbrook's experience in open government, ethics policy development and investigations during the introduction. Brenda Levas, the county's human resources representative, read contract compensation details into the record. Levas said the negotiated contract includes a base salary of $426,844 and a benefits package she summarized as equivalent to about $136,000. The benefits Levas enumerated include retirement contributions, Medicare contributions, health insurance, dental and vision, a $2,000 health reimbursement account, life insurance ($175,000), a $15 biweekly life insurance stipend, paid holidays, sick and vacation accruals, 60 hours of administrative leave, a $550 monthly car allowance, a $600 annual tuition stipend, and vacation/sick buyback options.

Public comment during the appointment item included several speakers who offered support and raised questions about compensation disclosure. Ruth Duarte said she supported the selection but noted the agenda cover page did not list compensation; she thanked staff for reading contract details into the public record. Multiple speakers, including members of the public who identified themselves as former coworkers, praised Holbrook's experience and urged the board to move forward.

Board discussion emphasized cost neutrality. Supervisor Peggy Price said the board planned to offset the new position's fiscal impact by un-funding a deputy county counsel position, reducing outside counsel expenditures, reviewing insurance and loss reserves, and adjusting external contracts. Supervisor Martha Cardenas Singh stressed the board's interest in ensuring the county's expanded EEO and ethics functions provide clear reporting pathways.

Action taken: Supervisor Price moved to approve the appointment and contract; Supervisor Jesus Eduardo Escobar seconded. The board voted to approve the appointment and employment agreement; the clerk announced the motion carried and the board welcomed Holbrook. The board then completed related administrative steps including closed-session consideration (reported later as "direction given, no reportable action").

What remains: Staff will implement the reassignment of duties into the county counsel's office and follow the contract terms accepted by the board. The board discussed but did not specify a timeline in the public discussion for when specific functions would formally transfer to county counsel.