Madera County civil service panel approves multiple reclassifications and creates two communications director roles

The Madera County Civil Service Commission on June 17 approved a package of personnel actions including individual reclassifications, two new communications director positions and the elimination of the county's public information officer classification.

The meeting, held June 17, centered on human-resources reclassification hearings and the adoption of multiple job classification specifications. Commissioners voted unanimously on each motion recorded in the session, and staff said salary recommendations resulting from several adoptions will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for approval.

Commissioners approved individual reclassifications after Human Resources presented duty reviews. HR recommended reclassifying the administrative assistant 3 position in the Department of Social Services for "Mister Velarde" to staff services manager. The clerk/recorder office requested reviews that led to a recommendation to reclassify the clerk recorder manager position ("Miss Luna") and a separate recommendation to reclassify the elections manager position to deputy director of Clerk Recorder Services (later clarified as deputy director of elections). A senior deputy clerk recorder position was recommended for direct status as an elections manager following the review. HR also presented a reclassification request in the Library Department: Mariana Cook, hired as a central services assistant and later placed in the office assistant 1 classification during the county's 2024 class-and-comp study, was recommended for reclassification with direct and permanent status in the new classification; Library Director Krista Riggs told commissioners the reclassification would not create operational gaps and praised Cook's work.

The commission also approved two voluntary demotions submitted in writing by employees: Eliana Ochoa from eligibility worker 1…