Postmus has sympathetic ear in Gutierrez

Councilman Rex Gutierrez will start his new job with the county as an economic development specialist on Jan. 5.

The councilman was let go as the intergovernmental relations officer in Bill Postmus' office following a grand jury report released in June accusing the assessor of misconduct. Postmus is now part of a criminal investigation by the district attorney and faces pressure by county supervisors to resign.

Gutierrez was supposed to leave his post in the assessor's office in September but managed to stay on until his new job starts at the Economic Development Agency. He will work on business retention and help steer county resources to struggling businesses.

The allegations surrounding Postmus range from political misconduct to methamphetamine use. Last week, the County Board of Supervisors decided to hire a prosecutor to investigate these allegations further.

Gutierrez, who considers Postmus a mentor and speaks to him on a daily basis, said the supervisors' move to oust the assessor "isn't worth the trouble or the money."

"I guess I'm partial," Gutierrez said. "I feel bad for our assessor. It's been a very turbulent time for him. I say let bygones be bygones."