Board of Supes to discuss options to oust Postmus
The Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting at 1 p.m. today to discuss options for removing county Assessor Bill Postmus from office.
Investigators from the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office arrested Postmus, 37, last week at his home on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. They discovered the contraband during the service of a search warrant, one of 10 served in San Bernardino and Orange counties as part of an ongoing investigation into political malfeasance at the Assessor's office.
On Jan. 6, Postmus, following an 11-week medical leave from work, stood before the Board of Supervisors and told them he had "beat" his drug addiction and would not seek re-election in 2010. It came on the heels of a grand jury report that criticized him and his staff for engaging in party politics on the county's dime and hiring unqualified executive level staff.
The investigation is still ongoing, and Postmus has yet to be formally charged.
Despite the scandal that has enveloped Postmus and some of his staff, firing him is proving to be a not-so-easy task. One thing, however, is a certainty: The county has more ammunition in its arsenal now.
"Something needs to be done now," said Burt Southard, spokesman for Fourth District Gary Ovitt, chairman of the board. "All the supervisors feel betrayed by his (Postmus') comments at the Jan. 6 meeting. But the county is being very careful about how it goes about this process."
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