There are six County departments that are managed by elected department heads: the Assessor, Auditor, Clerk-Recorder, District Attorney, Sheriff, and Treasurer-Tax Collector. These elected officials are responsible for managing the County employees who work in their departments. The Board of Supervisors does not have the power to discipline elected officials when their conduct fails to meet the standards of behavior expected of all other County department heads.
In 2018, the County hired an outside independent attorney investigator to investigate two allegations of sexual harassment by County Assessor Gus Kramer in 2015 or earlier. The investigator found that, prior to mid-2015, it is more likely than not that Mr. Kramer made certain comments and engaged in conduct that the two individuals who worked in his department considered to be offensive and inappropriate in the workplace, as further described in the attached resolution.
The Board adopts the attached resolution to censure County Assessor Gus Kramer for engaging in the conduct described the attached resolution, which it considers to have been inappropriate and unbecoming of a County official. The Board reminds Mr. Kramer that, as a County officer, he is expected to provide a workplace free from sexual harassment. This is what the Board expects of all of its department heads, regardless of whether they are appointed or elected.
The Board also refers this issue to the Contra Costa County Civil Grand Jury to determine whether further investigation of the Assessor’s conduct or the operational procedures of the Assessor’s department with regard to sexual harassment complaints is warranted.
Speaker: Bruce Zelis, resident of Walnut Creek.