Tuolumne County board votes 3-1 to transfer Office of Emergency Services to sheriff's office amid public concern

The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors voted to immediately transfer management of the county Office of Emergency Services (OES) to the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office, adopting Resolution 48-26 on a 3-1 voice vote.

County staff introduced the proposal as a follow-up to earlier board direction to explore OES placement and said neighboring counties commonly house OES under sheriffs for operational alignment. "We were working on that initiative," said Root (county staff), describing recent operational demands and the need to ensure sustained support for OES functions. The resolution directs the county to move OES cost centers and operational responsibility to the sheriff pending later ordinance updates.

The decision prompted sustained public comment and concern from residents, staff, and elected officials. Tim McCaffrey, who identified himself during public comment, urged the board not to transfer authority by resolution before presenting an ordinance: "If this is the direction the board wants to go, then bring back the ordinance first," he said, asking the public to be able to review specific language about spending authority and chain of command in emergencies.

Supporters on the board said the change would reduce strain on the county administrator's office, improve cross-training with public-safety units and neighboring counties, and better position OES for grant execution. A supervisor who seconded the motion said consolidating incident management under one organizational roof can reduce delays during multi-jurisdiction responses and improve grant administration.

Opponents and several public speakers raised procedural and policy concerns: that a resolution should not precede an ordinance amendment; that the county has obligations under state and federal emergency-management frameworks; and that grant and recovery functions tied to the CAO should be explicitly preserved. Members of OES staff and commenters also warned that transferring the office during an ongoing personnel transition risks losing institutional knowledge; multiple speakers named assistant director Dory Beetz's recent resignation as a complicating factor.

The resolution passed as presented and recorded in the meeting minutes with a 3-1 vote; one supervisor was absent. The board directed staff to coordinate with the sheriff's office on the transition and to prepare any necessary ordinance changes and implementation details for later review. The board scheduled no specific follow-up date in the public record at the meeting.

Next steps: staff and the sheriff's office are to work on operational transition details and drafting ordinance language; several public commenters asked that the board return with precise ordinance language and fiscal implications for public review before any further permanent changes are enacted.