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Sonoma County appoints Evelyn Mendez as standalone Registrar of Voters
Summary
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a three-year personal services agreement to appoint Evelyn Mendez as the county's standalone Registrar of Voters, placing the office under the county executive with a $195,041 annual salary and a 22‑FTE budget of about $9.6 million.
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on July 22 unanimously approved a three-year personal services agreement to appoint Evelyn Mendez as the county's Registrar of Voters, formalizing the office as a separate department under the county executive.
The move separates the Registrar of Voters from the Clerk-Recorder-Assessor department and was presented by Janelle Crane, the county's human resources director, who told the board the change is intended to strengthen election administration, voter outreach and election-related cybersecurity. "If approved, [this] will authorize the chair of the board to execute a personal services agreement with Evelyn Mendez," Crane said during the meeting.
The board approved a staffing complement of 22 full-time equivalent positions and an approximate fiscal-year budget of $9,600,000 for the new department. The agreement places Mendez at a step in the posted salary range with an annual salary of $195,041 and standard benefits under the county's salary resolution. Crane said Mendez brings nearly 30 years of election administration experience at state and county levels, including service as a division manager in the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters office and earlier work in the California Secretary of State's Elections Division.
Mendez, who was present for the meeting, thanked the board and said she is "humbled by this opportunity" and eager to begin, noting the workload ahead given an upcoming election. A member of the public, Rhonda Provost of Forestville, offered support for the transition and praised long-serving county elections staff.
The board took the appointment following short remarks from several supervisors praising the hire and the depoliticization of the office. The motion passed by voice vote with no opposition; the item was announced to take effect with a start date of July 22, 2025.
Next steps include finalizing on-boarding and operational details for the newly independent office ahead of the next election cycle.
