Board to select new district attorney
The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors has called a special meeting for today to interview candidates for the vacant district attorney position, as well as enter an agreement with the state regarding COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
Interviews with the finalists to become the county’s next district attorney will be conducted by the board publicly at 1 p.m. as opposed to in closed session because it is an elected position that’s typically decided by voters. The position was vacated by Laura Krieg earlier this year after she was elected to Superior Court judge.
A list of candidates that will be interviewed had yet to be released as of about 4:50 p.m. Thursday despite a request for one earlier in the day by The Union Democrat.
County Counsel Sarah Carrillo could not be reached Thursday for comment about the process because someone at her office said she was scheduled to be in meetings all day related to the selection of the final candidates that the board will interview.
In December, when Krieg submitted her resignation as DA before being sworn in as a judge on Jan. 4, County Administrator Tracie Riggs said they were accepting applications for the position until Jan. 29. Finalists for interviews with the board would be selected by a panel, though it was not clear at the time who would be on it.
The special meeting was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. for the board to consider approving a memorandum of understanding to continue working with the state and continue administering coronavirus vaccines itself as opposed to entering into a contract with Blue Shield, a private entity contracted by the
state recently to serve as a third-party administrator for vaccine distribution.
There are also several items for the board to discuss in closed session, including property negotiations between the county and Brian Wahlbrink regarding Standard Park at 18500 Standard Road. Not much additional information was provided, other than it will be “to discuss price and terms of payment.”
Wahlbrink is a local businessman who also serves as chief financial officer and co-owner of Sperry Farms, an almond operation in Stanislaus and Merced counties that’s been in his family for multiple generations. He was also part of a group of investors who purchased the former bowling alley in downtown Sonora two years ago and converted it into an indoor self-storage facility.