It now appears there was much more to the sudden resignation of Ventura County's CEO than was announced last week.
It started with a short statement released last week, saying that Ventura County CEO Mike Powers has resigned immediately, to spend more time with his family.
It came as a big surprise, especially because the Powers had signed a new five-year contract with the county last year.
Now, two County Supervisors released a statement saying that Powers had been placed on paid administrative leave following a closed session by the board on March 8.
In the statement, the supervisors say it came after an employee’s complaint of inappropriate conduct by the CEO. The say the action came after an investigation conducted by an independent attorney at the county’s direction.
A media outlet somehow got hold of the draft report before Supervisors could look at the issue again. Powers resigned before this week’s meeting.
What exactly might have happened is still unclear. In the statement, County Supervisors Carmen Ramirez and Linda Parks say the county will not tolerate abuses of power, inappropriate conduct, or the use of derogatory names. They say they will address the unauthorized release, because the action fails to respect the privacy of those who came forward, as well as the accused.
