DLNews Staff:

The person who worked as a librarian and quickly rose to become one of the top leaders in San Bernardino County has resigned from his position. He held this influential role for almost three years and was known for being intimidating and autocratic. His annual compensation was a total of $599,400.55.

Leonard Hernandez stepped down as the county's chief executive officer, the highest-ranking non-elected position in the county's government, citing an undisclosed family matter. He has been in the role since September 2020.

His looming departure has raised questions about his ties to a cadre of assistant and deputy administrators, department heads, and staffers who sat in the same executive suite with him at the county's palatial headquarters.

For the most part, those who occupied senior positions under Hernandez were expected to do exactly as he asked them, regardless of whether the board officially approved such supervisors' directives. That formula allowed him to gain a firm grip on the machinery of county governance and keep it functioning smoothly and efficiently.

But a few weeks ago, a crack formed in the code of silence that held the critical management ranks of county departments to Hernandez. His affair of standing with Pam Williams, a relatively low-ranking county employee promoted from analyst to chief administrative officer in a few days when Hernandez moved to the chief of administration, violated that code of silence and brought it crashing down.

Pam Williams, San Bernardino County Chief Executive Officer Leonard Hernandez’s mistress, whom he installed into the $ 266,612.23 total annual compensation job.

After that development, many county employees believed a power struggle was in the works. They also began to suspect that Hernandez would be forced from his position. They were right about both counts.

Those working under Hernandez and his subordinates have anxiously awaited his departure. Some have criticized the decision of County Board of Supervisors Greg Devereaux to install him in his current role without sufficient time in previous positions that would allow him to acquire adequate experience in several different county divisions. They have pointed out that such seasoning is critical in a highly complex and multifaceted municipal-like county government.

Money plays a crucial role in the ongoing power struggle. The person responsible for managing the county's finances will likely have an advantage in whatever survival strategy Hernandez decides to pursue. During their meeting on August 8, the board of supervisors extended Hernandez's vacation without his consent. The fight for control over county resources is centered on this issue. The supervisors and their staff, particularly those under Supervisor Dawn Rowe, have a lot riding on the outcome.

Here's a list of the articles to reference this mess:

https://sbcsentinel.com/?s=leonard+hernandez&submit=Search