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San Diego County supervisors appoint David Smith as acting county counsel after closed-session vote
Summary
At a July 24 special meeting, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors reported a unanimous vote among those present to appoint David Smith as acting county counsel. The action followed public comment criticizing the previous county counsel and urging transparency in replacements.
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors reported on July 24 that it voted unanimously in closed session to appoint David Smith as acting county counsel.
The board’s report said the vote occurred during a special meeting that recessed into closed session; Chair Lawson Riemer, Vice Chair Montgomery Stepp and Supervisor Aguirre were present and voted aye. Supervisors Anderson and Desmond were absent.
Public commenters who signed up to speak on the closed-session item urged the board to prioritize transparency and to choose a county counsel who would act independently. Evelyn Lopez, a speaker who identified herself during public comment, said of her children in foster care, “They wanna come home,” and appealed to the board to address what she described as harm in the child-welfare system. Another caller, Paul Broad, urged the board to avoid selecting a “special interest or corporate lawyer” and named several people he said would serve the public good, including Erica Cortez, Michael Urie and Corey Bridal.
The clerk’s report to the board said the closed session began and ended on July 24; the board reported it had met in closed session from 2:47 p.m. to 2:59 p.m. and that it considered three matters listed on the closed-session agenda. The clerk said there were seven requests to speak on the closed-session matters — two in person and five by phone — and that speakers were given two minutes each.
Speakers during the public comment period also criticized the office’s recent handling of public-participation rules and personnel matters. Several callers said the previous county counsel’s departure reflected larger transparency and accountability concerns; those characterizations were made by members of the public during their remarks and were not statements of board policy.
The board’s formal announcement of the appointment did not identify who moved or seconded the motion. The board reported only the outcome — a unanimous vote in favor by the supervisors who were present — and identified the appointee as David Smith, to serve as acting county counsel.
The board’s next regular meeting was announced as Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025.
