Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors District 5 Map.
Gus Kramer from the County Assessor’s webpage.
By Daniel Borsuk
Legally and politically embattled Contra Costa County Assessor Gus Kramer is “seriously planning” to run for the District 5 seat of the Contra County Board of Supervisors, a seat held by 20-year veteran Federal Glover of Pittsburg, the Contra Costa Herald has learned.
Miffed earlier this month when the board of supervisors decided to not award him a 1.96 percent cost-of-living increase that would have raised his annual salary from $208,013 to $212,086, based on findings of an average salary study Contra Costa County Administrator David Tawa had compiled of nine other counties of elected officials holding the offices of assessor, auditor-controller, clerk-recorder, and treasurer-tax collector. (See related article)
“I am planning to file for the district five seat,” said Kramer. “I will file in March.”
At the early August board of supervisors meeting, Twa instructed supervisors to not award the assessor a cost-of-living increase by stating, “Currently the Assessor is 1.96 percent below the Average of the nine Bay Area comparable counties. A salary adjustment for the Assessor will be considered at a later date, once other issues in the Department have been resolved.”
Kramer was re-elected to another four-year term of office in last November’s election, so he says he has nothing to lose in running for a supervisorial seat, he told The Herald.
Federal Glover from his Facebook page.
Without going into detail, Kramer did not address the ongoing legal challenges he faces chiefly the Superior Court proceedings on allegations of “willful or corrupt” misconduct in office involving county employees.
The county assessor, who resides in Martinez, but grew up and attended and graduated from former Pacifica High School in Bay Point, said he has no problem running against veteran supervisor Glover.
“I want to reveal what is really going on during those closed door sessions. There are many unanswered questions about the legality of those closed sessions,” Kramer said.
In the meantime, Glover told the Herald he plans to run for a sixth four-year term.
“I plan to run for re-election in 2020,” Glover said. “I have worked hard for the constituents of District 5. I will run on my strong record.”
Glover would not comment on Kramer’s prospective candidacy.
“I don’t want to read anything into it at this time,” he said.
