San Benito County Agriculture Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures Ron Ross is retiring Jan. 9, 2015, after five years on the job and 26 years total with the county, including time as paid-call fireman. The county board of supervisors on Tuesday thanked Ross for his service while also agreeing to keep him on board for up to six months while the search for his replacement continues.
“The county cannot be without the services of an agricultural commissioner,” Georgia Cochran of the county human resources office wrote in a report to supervisors. “Due to Ron’s knowledge, expertise and history in San Benito County and the need for the services provided by this position, it is imperative that Ron be permitted to continue on a part-time temporary basis while the county works to hire his successor.”
Ross will be paid $55.25 per hour with no other benefits from the county.
Supervisor Anthony Botelho said that “public service has always been the model for Ron,” whom he called “very, very tough to replace.” Botelho called the ag commissioner’s office “one of the smoothest-running departments that we have.”
Ross thanked supervisors for their support and thanked his staff “for making the whole thing work.” He called his time as ag commissioner “interesting (and) challenging,” noting that technology has expanded the scope of the job that dates back to 1889 in San Benito County. Ross is the eighth ag commissioner to serve the county in 125 years.
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