YOUR AD HERE »

Smith resigns office " again

Dave Moller
Sun News Service

NEVADA CITY ” Former Nevada County Clerk-Recorder Kathleen Smith has already resigned from her new position as city clerk of Rio Vista.

Smith’s resignation was confirmed Friday by Myriam Beltran, editor of the River News Herald, the town’s weekly newspaper. Calls to Rio Vista Mayor Eddie Woodruff, three City Council members and the city manager were not returned to The Union.

Reached on a personal phone Friday, Smith hung up on a reporter from The Union



before any questions could be asked. Smith resigned in a letter to the Rio Vista mayor and City Council July 25, effective Nov. 23, but did not give specific reasons.

Smith resigned from her Nevada County position April 9, citing personal reasons and a final work date of June 30, without elaboration. Two days later, The Union surprised her with a phone call at her new job in Rio Vista.



She admitted she had been working there since March 12, while holding her Nevada County clerk’s job here at the same time. During that call, Smith said she was not sure if she would stick with the Rio Vista position for long.

An enraged Nevada County Board of Supervisors, which had not known Smith was holding down two jobs, demanded her immediate resignation and officially vacated her office April 19. After that, they appointed Gregory Diaz to fulfill the rest of Smith’s term.

Diaz had run against Smith in the June 2006 election, losing a relatively close race. He said he ran against Smith after she told him she did not see herself as county clerk-recorder four years hence and was unhappy with the position.

Supervisors Chairman John Spencer said Smith did not seem pleased with the move of her office from the old HEW Building in Nevada City to the Rood Center. He also said she was upset with a controversy regarding voting machines used during the November election.

Smith’s tenure stirred controversy with confusion over polling place changes, handicapped voting mandates and mistakes in absentee ballots and voter pamphlets. Smith was appointed as clerk-recorder here in 2004, after Lorraine Jewett-Burdick resigned in mid-term.


Support Local Journalism

 

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and beyond make the Sierra Sun's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.