Commission names Sanford assistant county manager, creates legal intern position

Commission names Sanford assistant county manager, creates legal intern position

By Christy Lattin

Joseph Sanford, a longtime presence in the Churchill County government, has been named the county’s new assistant county manager–HR director. Commissioners voted unanimously Sept. 17 to promote Sanford, who has served as chief civil deputy district attorney since 2022.

Sanford held the title of Chief Civil Deputy District Attorney in Churchill County since 2022 and has been a presence on the County Commission and Planning Commission. He was instrumental in crafting language for the new industrial zoning, and in preparing the county’s appeal of the Bureau of Land Management’s decision regarding grazing rights most recently.

Sanford has worked in the District Attorney’s office since 2015. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and his Juris Doctor from the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He worked at two legal firms in Las Vegas prior to joining Churchill County.

Sanford will begin his new position at Grade 86, Step 6, which is one step above the normal promotion step. Commissioners can approve irregular step placements if recruiting proves difficult, or of the person possesses “superior qualifications.” Staff believes Sanford met the standard for the second category. His starting salary will be $147,284.

John Hong’s appointment as the Library Director was ratified, following the Library Board’s recommendation and his acceptance. He was the top candidate after interviews were held Aug. 28. Because the Library Board set his initial salary at a higher step than what county code dictates, commissioners needed to ratify his appointment. Hong will start at his new position Oct. 20.

Commissioners approved the creation of a new “legal intern” position in the public defender’s office after hearing about the difficulty in recruiting an attorney for the office. Public Defender Jacob Sommer said his office has received almost no qualified application for the position during the past year. He said in his report that without new strategies to attract an attorney, the public defender’s office will remain understaffed and unable to meet the community’s needs.

Sommer proposed creating the paid full-time internship position as a recruiting tool. He said having a paid position would help attract current law students and recent graduates to Churchill County. The intern would work under the direct supervision of Sommer and assist with case preparation.

Commissioners unanimously approved the creation of the new position, which has a starting salary of $46,134 plus benefits.