2 Colleagues Silent On Pass Area Supervisor Hewitt's Appointment

PASS AREA, CA — Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Hewitt, who represents District 5 that includes the Pass Area, was seated Tuesday as the 2022 chairman of the Board of Supervisors, but two supervisors withheld their votes supporting him for the post. One of the holdouts, Supervisor Chuck Washington, offered support Wednesday to a candidate who is hoping to unseat Hewitt later this year.

In at least the last two decades, all votes for chair and vice chair have been unanimous on the Board of Supervisors. Additionally, Washington’s endorsement marks one of the first times in recent memory that a sitting Riverside County supervisor has endorsed against an elected-sitting supervisor.

Top on the board's agenda Tuesday was appointing a chair and vice chair, as is custom at the beginning of every year. Supervisor Karen Spiegel was the outgoing chair from 2021 and initiated the process of handing over the baton.

Traditionally, the board rotates the position annually, and the line of succession is based only on whichever district supervisor is slated for a turn. This year, it was the fifth district, represented by Hewitt.

Supervisors Perez, Chuck Washington and Spiegel were not in the board chamber, electing instead to join the meeting virtually via Zoom as a precaution amid current public health concerns stemming from COVID-19.

When the vote for chair and vice chair was called, Hewitt and Supervisor Kevin Jeffries had to make and then second the motion themselves. Spiegel voted to seat the men, and they voted to seat themselves, but Perez and Washington abstained from voting.

There was no comment by either Perez or Washington, who served as chairs in 2020 and 2018, respectively.

Hewitt is a registered Libertarian, and Perez and Washington are Democrats. The supervisors have had public disagreements during board meetings, but the conflicts never led to open hostility or harsh words, though votes on some matters were divided.

In another twist Wednesday, Washington threw his support behind Yxstian Gutierrez, who is gunning for Hewitt's District 5 seat in 2022. Gutierrez, a teacher, has served on the Moreno Valley City Council since 2013 and was elected mayor of the city in 2016.

“As a local Mayor, Yxstian Gutierrez has worked tirelessly to make Riverside County a better place to live. He’s a smart and tested leader who is committed to advancing policies that create jobs, reduce homelessness, restore infrastructure, expand a variety of youth programs, and keep neighborhoods safe," Washington said in a released statement. "I’m proud to join with leaders throughout Riverside County in supporting Yxstian Gutierrez for Supervisor.”

During Tuesday's meeting, Hewitt did not list his objectives or ideas for the coming year, which his predecessors sometimes have done. The chair oversees establishing board schedules, guiding hearings, attending functions on behalf of the entire board, signing proclamations and other duties that don't require a quorum.

Jeffries, who is the most senior supervisor and intends to retire at the end of his term in 2024, will step in as chair whenever Hewitt is unavailable.

"I'm really proud to have served on this board with Supervisor Spiegel," Hewitt said. "She had a lot of challenges. Supervisor (Manuel) Perez the year before conducted himself in a really good manner. Learning things from other leaders is a real honor, and hopefully I can continue on in that vein."