In a decidedly fraught exchange late last week, it became painfully clear just how exasperated all five county supervisors have become with Joe Holland, the county’s 24-year incumbent clerk-recorder, assessor, and elections czar and how all five came to endorse Holland’s challenger in this June’s election, Melinda Greene, a department stalwart with 30 years’ experience.
Holland, suffering from chronic health issues, was the only department head — out of 23 — not to show up in person for last week’s three-day budget preview marathon. Supervisors Bob Nelson and Joan Hartmann both expressed disappointment that Holland was not present in the flesh but only via Zoom; Nelson, the board chair, lamented the lack of advance notice.
Holland, who started working for the critically important but unsung department back in 1984 and was first elected as its chief in 2002, has not been seen at his office for so long that his absence has become almost a meme in the Current, a conservative blog that bird-dogs local government. When asked directly how long it had been since he worked in the county elections office, Holland replied 18 months.
“Believe me, if I could be in the office, I would be,” Holland said.
Holland told the supervisors he worked remotely from home. When pressed for details on how he engaged with divisional managers within the department, Holland replied, “I’m available by phone. All my division managers are able to get ahold of me instantaneously. They can call me, and I’m on it in a heartbeat.”
When the supervisors asked if he initiated any calls or actions, Holland said he did.
As an elected official, Holland is paid $247,000 a year whether he shows up or not. As a retired county employee, he also collects a $37,000 pension.
According to an email Holland sent, he has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and is making good progress in his physical therapy. The email stated that his work office is currently being modified to accommodate his physical challenges.
Privately, many supervisors have wondered why Holland is running for reelection given how he’s reached retirement age. But back when his candidacy was still in doubt, Holland vowed in an interview, “If I can walk, I’ll run.”
Given Donald Trump’s frequent statements expressing before-the-fact doubt over this year’s election results and his interest in nationalizing elections, many left-tilting South County supervisors have expressed concern that Holland’s ability to respond effectively to such threats is questionable.
The two North County supervisors also expressed resentment that the South County elections offices are open year-round while the elections office in Santa Maria — a bigger city than Santa Barbara, they observed — are only open right before elections. For residents seeking to re-register, for example, this they said has been a logistical burden requiring their intervention. Holland replied that such office hours are all a matter of staff and money.
Green, the challenger, has been endorsed not just by all five supervisors but by the Democratic Party, many of the major unions, and is hosting campaign events. Holland, by contrast, does not appear to be waging a campaign, but as a long-term incumbent enjoys certain obvious advantages no matter how obscure the office.
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