Stanislaus County officeholders will be sworn in Tuesday

Stanislaus County officials who were victorious in the winner-take-all primary elections in June will be sworn in Tuesday morning, along with other office holders who were not opposed.

Sheriff Adam Christianson, District Attorney Birgit Fladager, interim Assessor Don Gaekle, and Supervisors Dick Monteith and Terry Withrow all dispatched single opponents in June, which meant they could skip runoff elections in November. The county officeholders begin their terms the first week in January.

Soon after the 8:30 a.m. ceremony, Withrow is expected to start a one-year stint as Board of Supervisors chairman, taking over from last year’s chairman, Jim DeMartini. The first county board meeting of 2015 starts at 9 a.m.

Withrow represents a district including the western part of Modesto, as well as Salida and the Wood Colony area. He won election to a second four-year term in June and will continue his work with the county’s Water Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations on groundwater policy.

As it deals with a light agenda Tuesday, the county board is expected to declare two vacancies on the WAC. Ceres Mayor Chris Vierra and political consultant Mike Lynch have resigned from the 21-member committee.

Vierra resigned in an email message Dec. 17, saying it was difficult for him to attend the meetings because of conflicts with city government service. The WAC meets at the same time as a monthly mayors meeting, Vierra wrote, adding it’s better to replace him with someone who can regularly attend the water meetings.

Lynch informed the county he accepted a position with Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, which precludes him from further participation in the WAC. With the new position starting last week, Lynch will be involved in water issues on behalf of Gray and “look forward to contributing to the valleywide efforts to secure and increase a bountiful surface and groundwater supply for valley farmers, businesses and residents,” his message said.

The county will seek applications for the vacant seats. Supervisors will consider other items Tuesday, such as:

▪  An amended ordinance to allow city managers, as well as elected officials, to serve on the Stanislaus County Disaster Council.

▪  A $612,500 Homeland Security Grant from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to enhance the ability to prevent and respond to terrorist acts and other calamities.

▪  An amendment to a $3.5 million contract with Tetra Tech BAS Inc. for professional design services for the cleanup of the former Geer Road Landfill. Approval would increase the contract by $450,600 for additional consultant services for upgrading the groundwater extraction system and paying prevailing wages for certain work.

This story was originally published January 4, 2015 at 7:25 PM with the headline "Stanislaus County officeholders will be sworn in Tuesday."