Merced County sheriff to leave job for role in the governor's office

Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazin abruptly announced Thursday his plans to leave office after more than a decade to accept a position with the governor’s administration.

The longtime county sheriff has been appointed chief of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Law Enforcement Branch, according to Gov. Jerry Brown’s office.

Pazin, 57, who has served as the county’s sheriff-coroner since 2002, was out of town Thursday and could not be reached for comment. He first joined the Sheriff’s Department in 1981.

Undersheriff Tom Cavallero said the sheriff informed his top commanders of the appointment during a telephone conference meeting around 3 p.m. Thursday. Cavallero said a specific date for Pazin’s departure from Merced County has not been set.

“But it will be in the very near future,” Cavallero said, “that much was clear.”

Merced County District 2 Supervisor Hub Walsh said Pazin’s departure is effective Jan. 1, 2014, so the decision to appoint someone to finish his term will come sooner than later — possibly even by Tuesday.

“The board will have to make this decision pretty quick and I would be surprised if it’s not on our agenda on Tuesday,” Walsh said. “We have to have a sheriff and we don’t meet again until January.”

Walsh said having Pazin work in Sacramento will give Merced County a voice at the state capital, especially because the longtime sheriff is familiar with the challenges facing the county.

“When we go to the governor’s office it would be nice to have someone who knows us and our issues,” Walsh said. “That’s one of the positive things I would see by him being in Sacramento and working in the governor’s office.”

Cavallero, the department’s top administrator under Pazin, said it was too early to speculate on the nuts and bolts of the coming transition. Responding to a Merced Sun-Star question, Cavallero said he “would be absolutely honored” to finish Pazin’s term in office.

“But, honestly, those decisions are completely up to the other county officials and the Board of Supervisors, specifically,” Cavallero said. “The most important thing is for all of us to work together to keep the department stable for the public going forward.”

Cavallero praised the departing sheriff.

“We’re all very happy for him and very proud of his achievement. This is a great opportunity for him,” the undersheriff said.

Cavallero, 49, brushed off questions regarding the 2014 election, saying it was “just too early to speculate” on whether he would seek the office himself.

“I don’t want anyone to get distracted at this point by any political agenda,” Cavallero said. “I really think focusing on the department’s stability is the most important thing now. I honestly haven’t given it any thought.”

The sheriff’s term runs through the end of 2014.

District 3 Supervisor Linn Davis said appointing someone midterm to fill the sheriff’s role makes more sense than spending money on a special election.

“I think that would be the wisest thing to do,” Davis said, adding that the opportunity to work for the governor is an exciting one for Pazin. “I think it’s a good opportunity for him and it’s something he’s wanted to do.”

Davis said he’s confident the Sheriff’s Department will continue operating without a hitch despite losing its longtime leader.

“Mark didn’t run everything. He had good staff that help make the cogs turn,” Davis said. “I think things will continue as need be, and we’ll continue to move forward in a positive direction.”

Pazin’s new position does not require state Senate confirmation and pays $120,000 per year, the governor’s office said in a brief statement. His salary range as sheriff is $133,952 to $163,092 per year, according to Merced County’s website.

The sheriff has served on the Alfred E. Alquist Seismic Safety Commission since 2011 and is a past president on the California State Sheriffs’ Association President’s Counsel, according to the governor’s office.

Pazin, a Republican, has been an outspoken supporter of the highly debated state Prison Realignment Act, also known as Assembly Bill 109. The act was the state’s primary response to a court-ordered reduction in the state’s prison population.

While some law enforcement officials around the state were critical of the program that shifted responsibility for “nonviolent, nonsexual, nonserious” felony convictions from the state to the county, Pazin was one of the program’s earliest defenders.

“There are some naysayers out over there. I’d say to them that this is a golden opportunity to fix a system that has been broken — as the governor had mentioned — for decades,” Pazin said in a 2011 news conference, just before the Realignment Act went into effect.

A recommendation to appoint someone midterm or to hold a special election will be made by County Executive Officer Jim Brown, who praised Pazin in a prepared statement.

“Sheriff Mark Pazin has been a leader in public safety and the community for many years,” Brown said in the email. “I congratulate him on his appointment and look forward to seeing him continue these efforts at the state level.”

This story was originally published December 12, 2013 at 10:14 PM.