At a special Monday afternoon meeting of the Kern County Board of Supervisors, the board unanimously voted to direct staff to hold an election on November 5 to fill the vacancy of District 2 Supervisor Zack Scrivner whose term expires in 2026.
Scrivner resigned on August 1 as he finds himself entangled in a criminal investigation on suspicion of sexually assaulting one of his children in April The investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed. Before resigning, he had been absent from his post for more than three months.
Under state law, the Governor can appoint someone to fill Scrivner’s vacant seat until an election is held. Monday’s board action means the election for District 2 will be held on the same day as the November 5 general election. But there is a tight window for candidates wishing to run to file nomination papers. The deadline for filing is Friday, August 9. That’s because under state law, nomination papers must be submitted at least 88 days before the election. Some public speakers urged the board to hold off on approving holding the election.
“Local residents who have 9 to 5 jobs may not have ample time this week to accomplish those requirements in an extremely expedient time frame which is inconsistent with similar elected positions filing periods,” said Josh Taylor, a representative with the Carpenter’s Union. Taylor addressed the board saying he was speaking as an individual.
“We should not be subject to a scenario where a person who is being accused of such heinous allegations to essentially set the tone of an election period by making an untimely resignation that puts a stranglehold on the filing period,” said Taylor. Board members while sympathetic, were ultimately not swayed.
“I think two years is a long time to leave District 2 residents without leadership that they’re able to vote on, so for that reason, I’m going to move staff’s approval,” said Supervisor Phillip Peters. Fellow Supervisor Jeff Flores seconded the motion. “I think it’s fundamentally important in terms of representation and democracy that we allow the citizens of District 2 to have a say the matter, irrespective of the time frame,” said Flores. The motion passed unanimously on a 4-0 vote.
SCRIVNER MAKES ZOOM APPEARANCE IN COURT
Earlier Monday morning, Scrivner made his first public appearance via Zoom in a Kern County family law courtroom. Scrivner’s wife, Christina Scrivner requested an expedited hearing on child support payments from her estranged husband. Christina Scrivner was present in court along with her attorney while Zack Scrivner appeared via Zoom from an undisclosed location while his attorney was present in court. The two sides came to an agreement under which he will pay $2,947 per month in child support.
The couple have four minor children. A restraining order for Zack Scrivner to stay away from his wife and children remains in effect.
