STATEMENT BY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER SACHI A. HAMAI IN RESPONSE TO INACCURATE COMMENTS BY SHERIFF VILLANUEVA

“It’s unfortunate that the Sheriff continues to bring issues to the media with the sole purpose of picking a political fight, rather than joining the County family in our urgent shared mission, which is the COVID-19 crisis.

The Sheriff should know, since the guidelines were sent out last week, that new federal benefits for employees affected by COVID-19 took effect beginning today. The guidelines for these programs are set by the federal government, not by the County. The Sheriff is responsible for his own decisions if he ordered employees to be placed on home leave. As a department head, he should be well aware that employees he orders to stay at home should be placed on paid administrative leave.

If the Sheriff has any other concerns, he should be working with the County’s Department of Human Resources to address any individual employees’ situations and needs instead of going to the media with misleading information. It’s also important to note that the Chief Executive Office has been working every step of the way with the County’s labor partners to ensure that all employees are paid appropriately during this time.”