Kings County supervisors terminate library director after criminal complaint

The Kings County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 on May 19, 2025, to terminate Vicki Cervantes as the county library director effective the same day after County Administrative Officer Kerrio Martinez recommended termination following a criminal complaint filed by the Tulare County District Attorney's Office that alleges grand theft from an elder or dependent adult, grand theft and identity theft.

Martinez told the board the recommendation is grounded in the county’s ethical standards and the need to preserve public trust. "This recommendation is made in light of serious allegations contained in a criminal complaint filed by the Tulare County District Attorney's Office," Martinez said. He cited the county’s Code of Ethics and the board’s obligation to maintain public confidence in county government.

The complaint alleges the offenses involved taking property of "great monetary value exceeding $5,000," Martinez said. Martinez opened the personnel discussion under the board’s personnel authority, citing Government Code section 54957 and the county’s Code of Ethics policy 10.3.

Vicki Cervantes, who addressed the board and members of the public, said she had been placed on paid administrative leave on May 13 and denied knowingly committing wrongdoing. She acknowledged an accidental purchase on a county card in April and said she immediately contacted county staff and pursued a vendor credit. She said she planned to reimburse the county for any unpaid amount and that she had served about 13 months as Kings County library director and nearly 30 years in library service.

Members of the public spoke in support of Cervantes. Aurelie Adams, of Hanford, called Cervantes a "beacon of light" for Porterville and said Cervantes had helped maintain library services after a fire. Mary Leal, a retired library director, told the board she had known Cervantes since graduate school and called her "honest to a fault."

Supervisors discussed the timeline and whether the board had been notified earlier about the underlying allegations. One supervisor asked why the county administrative officer was not notified until Monday after information reportedly reached the media Friday. Martinez said he could not answer the question about the media timeline. Another county official on the dais indicated an investigation had been ongoing for about a year.

Supervisor Rusty Robinson moved to terminate Cervantes effective immediately; the motion was seconded (second not specified in the record). The clerk recorded votes: Supervisor Joe Neves — yes; Supervisor Doug Verboom — yes; Supervisor Rusty Robinson — yes; Supervisor Robert Thayer — yes. The motion carried 4-0 and the board adjourned.

The board did not provide additional direction for staffing of library operations during the meeting. Written correspondence from Katie Smith was entered into the record and will become part of the permanent record.