Napa County supervisors elect Amber Manfree as chair, adopt labor statement and approve $30,000 transition contribution
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Summary
The Napa County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 13 unanimously elected Supervisor Amber Manfree as chair and Liz Alessio as vice chair, approved a nonbinding statement urging resolution of a months-long labor strike, and authorized a one-time $30,000 employer contribution to a 401(a) subaccount to support budget-staff transitions.
The Napa County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 13 elected Supervisor Amber Manfree as chair and Supervisor Liz Alessio as vice chair for 2026 and carried a slate of routine and administrative measures by unanimous votes.
The board’s first formal action was the election of leadership for the year. Supervisor Ramos moved to elect Manfree as chair and Alessio as vice chair; the motion was seconded and approved unanimously.
The board then approved a proclamation acknowledging Supervisor Anne Cottrell’s 2025 service as chair, citing her work on wildfire preparedness agreements, broadband expansion and the county’s strategic initiatives; the proclamation was read and adopted unanimously.
On the consent calendar, the board approved items a through k, including special-district business. Supervisor Gallagher moved the consent calendar and Supervisor Alessio seconded; the motion passed unanimously.
On item 10b, the board considered a staff-prepared statement about the economic and community impacts of an ongoing labor strike at Westlake Royal Stone Solutions involving Teamsters Local 853. Supervisor Gallagher proposed strengthening the language to call for bargaining in January and for contract terms that include fair wages, periodic cost-of-living adjustments and meaningful employee health-care choice; Gallagher moved the amended statement, Supervisor Cottrell seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
On item 10d the board approved a one-time, nonmatching employer contribution of $30,000 to a 401(a) pretax subaccount for calendar year 2027 to support continuity during key budget-office staff transitions. CEO Alsop explained that the contribution is intended to provide up to six to eight months of additional technical support as new budget leadership is onboarded; Supervisor Gallagher moved the item, Supervisor Ramos seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
The board also reappointed members to various committees and advisory bodies as presented in item 10a; that motion passed unanimously.
At the close of the meeting, the board recessed into closed session on existing litigation (Minh Tran v. Napa County, case no. 23CV001593) and a public-employee performance evaluation. On returning to public session the board reported it had received an update on the Tran matter and that no reportable action was taken on the personnel evaluation.
Votes at a glance
- Election of chair and vice chair (item 4a): Motion to elect Supervisor Amber Manfree as chair and Supervisor Liz Alessio as vice chair. Mover: Supervisor Ramos. Second: Supervisor Gallagher. Outcome: Approved unanimously.
- Proclamation for Supervisor Anne Cottrell: Motion to approve proclamation. Mover: Supervisor Alessio. Second: Supervisor Ramos. Outcome: Approved unanimously.
- Consent calendar (items a–k): Motion to approve consent calendar. Mover: Supervisor Gallagher. Second: Supervisor Alessio. Outcome: Approved unanimously.
- Committee appointments (item 10a): Motion to appoint/reappoint supervisors to committees and advisory boards as listed. Mover: Supervisor Alessio. Second: Supervisor Cottrell. Outcome: Approved unanimously.
- Statement on labor impacts (item 10b): Motion to adopt amended statement urging Westlake Royal Stone Solutions and Teamsters Local 853 to bargain in good faith and seek fair wage, cost-of-living adjustments and health-care choice. Mover: Supervisor Gallagher. Second: Supervisor Cottrell. Outcome: Approved unanimously.
- One-time 401(a) employer contribution (item 10d): Motion to adopt a resolution providing a one-time nonmatching employer contribution of $30,000 to the 401(a) pretax subaccount for 2027 to support budget-office transitions. Mover: Supervisor Gallagher. Second: Supervisor Ramos. Outcome: Approved unanimously.
What’s next
Staff will return with revised language for the county’s 2026 legislative and regulatory platform, incorporating board directions on airport approaches and utility-rate concerns, and with implementation details for the approved 401(a) contribution and committee notifications.
