An unfilled job at California's Fair Political Practices Commission is raising eyebrows.
The state ethics watchdog agency's most recent executive director, Roman Porter, announced in August that he would be leaving the post.
Four months later, the commission has yet to appoint a new executive director, whose position is written into the state Political Reform Act.
Chairwoman Ann Ravel and a new general counsel have been filling the role, citing insufficient funds to hire for what was a six-figure post.
One good-government group is now asking the commission to publish "governing principles" that outline how the executive director's duties are being covered in the interim, as well as a timeline for filling the post.
"We think these principles would bring clarity to how the commission is currently functioning in the absence of an executive director," Phillip Ung of California Common Cause told commissioners Thursday.
Several members also stressed the need to name a new executive director as soon as finances allow. But Ravel said that budgetary constraints and the possibility of staff layoffs have made it difficult to fill the post.
Even if money did appear, it would likely be months before any action occurred. The commission, which has authority to make the appointment, has scheduled its next meeting in March.
>BY THE NUMBERS
California's worst recession since the Great Depression has hit all economic classes, but it has had a particularly harsh effect on lower-income residents, widening the gap between them and upper-income residents, according to a new study by the Public Policy Institute of California. Fewer than half of Californians now live in middle-income families, the study also found.
>WORTH REPEATING
"We'll propose cuts and the taxes, and if the taxes don't materialize, I will propose we have trigger cuts that go into effect immediately."
JERRY BROWN, explaining his budget approach to Bloomberg News
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