The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors voted behind closed doors to place the county administrator on leave and will be moving to terminate his contract.  

Jay Wilverding, who was appointed back in 2021, was placed on leave in what supervisors said was an action “not for cause.”  

The 4-1 decision on Tuesday was reached during a closed session review of Wilverding’s position, with Board Chair Miguel Villapadua dissenting.  

“Jay Wilverding has been an enormous asset to San Joaquin County,” said Villapadua. “And while I disagree with the Board’s decision today, I understand that there are times when a new direction is desired.”  

FILE PHOTO: The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, Paul Canepa, Miguel Villapudua, Robert Rickman, Tom Patti and Steven J. Ding during the swearing-in and re-organizational meeting on Jan. 4, 2023 in Stockton, Calif. (San Joaquin County via Bay City News)

Assistant County Administrator Sandra Regalo has been named acting county administrator, effective immediately.  

“While Mr. Wilverding has played a vital and important role in San Joaquin County, the decision of this board signals that it is time for a new direction and new leadership,” said Vice Chair Paul Canepa, who said that the board should have a “close and cooperative relationship” with the county administrator’s office, and that Regalo will be a good fit until a full replacement for Wilverding is selected.  

The Board of Supervisors will move to terminate Wilverding’s contract at the March 26 meeting. His contract was most recently renewed in February 2022, with a salary of $365,801, the county said.  

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.