Imperial County board appoints Jeffrey Holbrook as county counsel, approves pay and benefits package

The Imperial County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 30 appointed Jeffrey Holbrook as county counsel, approving an employment agreement that sets base pay at $290,000 and a benefits package the county calculated at about $136,000, for a total annual compensation figure cited in the meeting of $426,844. The appointment is scheduled to take effect Oct. 20, 2025.

The board and county staff framed the hire as part of a reorganization that expands the county counsel office's duties. A county staff member who introduced the item described Holbrook as "the most qualified candidate of the applications that were received" and said the office will take on a countywide ethics and compliance program, move equal employment opportunity responsibilities into county counsel, and oversee internal investigations, claims and litigation review as well as risk-management functions.

The item was introduced in open session; county staff presented a negotiated employment agreement and the board moved to approve and appoint Holbrook. Brenda Levas of human resources read the compensation terms into the record: "The pay is per contract at $290,000 a year... the total benefits is equivalent to a $136,000 for total benefit and salary of 426,844," and she listed benefit elements including retirement contributions, health insurance, a $2,000 health reimbursement account, a $550 car allowance, a $175,000 life-insurance policy, a $15 biweekly life-insurance stipend, 60 hours administrative leave, a $600 annual tuition stipend, and options for vacation and sick-leave buyback.

Board members described the hire as a cost‑neutral reorganization, saying anticipated savings would come from eliminating an unfunded deputy county counsel position, reducing outside counsel expenditures and reviewing insurance and loss-reserve funds. Supervisor Peggy Price noted Holbrook's experience, including a child-welfare certification, and said she expected the hire to support the board's work.

Several members of the public spoke during the public‑comment period in support of the appointment. Ruth Duarte said she had worked with Holbrook and praised his fairness on employee grievances. Pedro Rodriguez and Tony Roberts also urged the board to approve the appointment, citing Holbrook's prior assistance on county matters.

Holbrook, who told the board he previously served about 14 years in the county counsel's office, said, "I really look forward to coming back, working with the county council's office and the team that's there now, and supporting the initiatives that this board has," and thanked supervisors for the appointment.

The board took the motion in public session after receiving the staff presentation and public comment. The meeting record does not contain a roll-call vote tally for this appointment; minutes and the adopted agreement were placed in the board packet and the board welcomed Holbrook following the vote.

The board also reported that it met in closed session earlier in the meeting to discuss the public‑employee appointment under Government Code provisions; the closed‑session report states direction was given and no reportable action was taken in closed session.