Sally Reed

She was hired on her record as a no-nonsense fiscal conservative, someone who could finally impose restraints on a Los Angeles County government that at times seems out of control. County operations needed a dose of bitter medicine, and the Board of Supervisors decided Sally Reed was the one to administer it. What a difference six months make.

Chief Administrative Officer Sally Reed is leaving Los Angeles County for a lesser state position with a $73,000 annual salary reduction. This fact should cause the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to ask why. One possible answer is that no capable executive officer can successfully fill the position of CAO under current county charter provisions. No mention of an executive officer is contained in the charter. All executive and legislative authority is vested in the five-person Board of Supervisors.

The worst fiscal crisis in recent memory. Layoffs of hundreds of employees. Thousands of angry county workers marching through the streets. The resignation, under fire, of the top manager. It has been one of the most tumultuous years in the long, storied history of Los Angeles County.

With Sally Reed leaving as Los Angeles County chief administrative officer, the supervisors and bureaucracy will be tempted to return to their lackadaisical ways. Reed, a straight-talking, conservative bottom-liner, was hired as the county's top fiscal officer 2 1/2 years ago. She quickly learned that the county was spinning toward bankruptcy. Her prescriptions were extreme, including closing County-USC Medical Center.

Attracting talented administrators to top public jobs in Los Angeles shouldn't be a problem. What's not to like? The salaries are high. The weather's great. But, as Sally Reed has learned, the politics are unrelenting, the budget problems are intractable and the frustrations can become unbearable.

With Sally Reed leaving as Los Angeles County chief administrative officer, the supervisors and bureaucracy will be tempted to return to their lackadaisical ways. Reed, a straight-talking, conservative bottom-liner, was hired as the county's top fiscal officer 2 1/2 years ago. She quickly learned that the county was spinning toward bankruptcy. Her prescriptions were extreme, including closing County-USC Medical Center.

With the county's vast health system on the verge of unraveling, the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday degenerated into a round of finger-pointing, with Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky accusing top health department officials of "stonewalling" by not providing critical information to the board.

In the end, the challenge was simply too big for Sally Reed. She came to the seat of power in Los Angeles County government on a mission: to bring spending in the nation's largest county government into line with its resources--even if that meant cutting jobs and programs. That was not a welcome approach for many. "I could take the arrows," Reed said in an interview Friday. "What I couldn't take were the compromises."

Chief Administrative Officer Sally Reed is leaving Los Angeles County for a lesser state position with a $73,000 annual salary reduction. This fact should cause the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to ask why. One possible answer is that no capable executive officer can successfully fill the position of CAO under current county charter provisions. No mention of an executive officer is contained in the charter. All executive and legislative authority is vested in the five-person Board of Supervisors.

Sally R. Reed, who's leaving her post as chief administrative officer of Los Angeles County, loves to tell the story about the time she returned a lost dog to her Pasadena neighbor. She didn't figure the neighbor would know who she was, but her name did ring a bell. "Oh, yeah," the neighbor said. "You're the don't-kill-the-messenger lady."

Sally R. Reed, who's leaving her post as chief administrative officer of Los Angeles County, loves to tell the story about the time she returned a lost dog to her Pasadena neighbor. She didn't figure the neighbor would know who she was, but her name did ring a bell. "Oh, yeah," the neighbor said. "You're the don't-kill-the-messenger lady."

Attracting talented administrators to top public jobs in Los Angeles shouldn't be a problem. What's not to like? The salaries are high. The weather's great. But, as Sally Reed has learned, the politics are unrelenting, the budget problems are intractable and the frustrations can become unbearable.

In the end, the challenge was simply too big for Sally Reed. She came to the seat of power in Los Angeles County government on a mission: to bring spending in the nation's largest county government into line with its resources--even if that meant cutting jobs and programs. That was not a welcome approach for many. "I could take the arrows," Reed said in an interview Friday. "What I couldn't take were the compromises."

With the county's vast health system on the verge of unraveling, the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday degenerated into a round of finger-pointing, with Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky accusing top health department officials of "stonewalling" by not providing critical information to the board.

In an illustration of the movie industry's clout, county Chief Administrative Officer Sally Reed is recommending that the county take back control of film permitting operations from a private firm that has come under heavy fire for dismissing its popular film office director. Further, Reed said she will urge the Board of Supervisors to hire the deposed director, Stephanie Liner, to direct the county's film activities.

She was hired on her record as a no-nonsense fiscal conservative, someone who could finally impose restraints on a Los Angeles County government that at times seems out of control. County operations needed a dose of bitter medicine, and the Board of Supervisors decided Sally Reed was the one to administer it. What a difference six months make.

In an illustration of the movie industry's clout, county Chief Administrative Officer Sally Reed is recommending that the county take back control of film permitting operations from a private firm that has come under heavy fire for dismissing its popular film office director. Further, Reed said she will urge the Board of Supervisors to hire the deposed director, Stephanie Liner, to direct the county's film activities.

Sally Reed, the Santa Clara County executive tapped to run Los Angeles County's vast bureaucracy, said she plans to tackle her new job the same way she always has: "My way," she said, first with a straight face, and then with the easy smile that is a key to her personable, one-on-one style of management.

Just a few days after making a recommendation that construction of a new courthouse in Lancaster be put on indefinite hold, county Chief Administrative Officer Sally R. Reed on Monday toured the existing court and found conditions "overwhelming." After a 90-minute briefing and tour of the municipal and superior courts in Lancaster, Los Angeles County's top administrator said, "I can't help but be concerned about the position the courts are dealing with here.

The worst fiscal crisis in recent memory. Layoffs of hundreds of employees. Thousands of angry county workers marching through the streets. The resignation, under fire, of the top manager. It has been one of the most tumultuous years in the long, storied history of Los Angeles County.