On Tuesday, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors will consider applicants for the County Clerk-Recorder position and determine which applicants will be invited to advance in the application process.
In total, 22 applied after the resignation of Clerk-Recorder Joe Canciamilla and those who move forward are scheduled to be interviewed on January 21.
Canciamilla resigned after he was being investigated by the FPPC and was ultimately hit with a $150k fine. According to the 13-page finding, the spending was uncovered in an audit where it says Canciamilla used campaign funds for personal use, campaign reporting omissions/errors, and failure to timely file a pre-election campaign statement – in violation of the Political Reform Act.
The application process closed on December 16, 2019 with 22 applicants meeting the minimum qualifications to be considered for the position of Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder. The statutory requirements for the position are that applicants must be 18 years of age, citizens of California, and residents and registered voters of Contra Costa County upon appointment.
Here is a list of the applicants along with their applications
| Applicant | District of Residence | City of Residence | Application |
| Baker, Catharine | NA | Dublin | (View PDF) |
| Basting, Karen | II | Walnut Creek | (View PDF) |
| Burgarino, Paul | III | Antioch | (View PDF) |
| Connelly, Kristin | II | Lafayette | (View PDF) |
| Cooper, Deborah | II | Danville | (View PDF) |
| Dunlap, Martin | V | Martinez | (View PDF) |
| Farmer, Herman, II | V | Bay Point | (View PDF) |
| Friedman, Mark | I | El Cerrito | (View PDF) |
| Hernandez, Richard | V | Martinez | (View PDF) |
| Hoffmeister, Laura | IV | Concord | (View PDF) |
| Ibrahim, Hakam | II | Walnut Creek | (View PDF) |
| Konopasek, Scott | II | Walnut Creek | (View PDF) |
| McKillop, Debra | V | Martinez | (View PDF) |
| Meltzer, Elliot | V | Martinez | (View PDF) |
| Mitchoff, Karen | IV | Pleasant Hill | (View PDF) |
| Norton, Tina | III | Oakley | (View PDF) |
| O’Brien, Courtney | V | Martinez | (View PDF) |
| Rafferty, Scott | IV | Walnut Creek | (View PDF) |
| Ross, Mark | V | Martinez | (View PDF) |
| Siguenza, Deidre | V | Martinez | (View PDF) |
| Simonsen, Arne | III | Antioch | (View PDF) |
| Wedel, Justin | IV | Walnut Creek | (View PDF) |
The Board of Supervisors has established the following next steps in the timeline to fill the position of Clerk-Recorder:
- Friday, December 20, 2019 – Copies of applications will be given to the Board of Supervisors and all applications that meet the minimum qualifications will be made available to the public on the County website at www.contracosta.ca.gov/7694 and in the Clerk of the Board’s Office at 651 Pine Street, 1st Floor, Room 106, Martinez, CA.
- Tuesday, January 14, 2020 – Board of Supervisors will consider which Applicant(s) to interview
- Tuesday, January 21, 2020 – Board of Supervisors will interview selected Applicants and select Finalist(s)
- January 21 – 31, 2020 – County Administrator will conduct background check on Finalist(s)
- Tuesday, February 04, 2020 – Board of Supervisors will consider possible appointment of County Clerk-Recorder
The appointed County Clerk-Recorder will serve the current term of the office ending in January 2023.
