Mettee-McCutchon appointed to Monterey County Board of Supervisors

So much for letting the voters decide. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed Marina Mayor Ila Mettee-McCutchon to the Monterey County Board of Supervisor, representing District 4. “Ila’s experience in local government and involvement in her community make her the perfect fit for this job,” said Schwarzenegger, in a news release issued late Thursday, Feb. 28. “She has proven to be a dedicated public servant as the mayor of Marina and I am confident she will continue to do a great job in serving the people of Monterey County.” “I am excited for the opportunity to continue serving the people of Monterey County in this new role on the Board of Supervisors. As an active member of the community and a representative in local government, I look forward to applying my past experience to addressing the important issues facing our county as supervisor,” Mettee-McCutchon said in the same news release. “I plan on serving with the same integrity that former supervisor Jerry Smith did.” The District 4 seat has been vacant since Smith died in November, following a long battle with cancer. A month before Smith’s death, the governor’s appointment secretary John Cruz, visited Monterey and Salinas. Despite rumors that Cruz came to recruit Mettee-McCutchon to fill the post, and run for reelection in June, Cruz insisted that was “absolutely not” why he was in town. However, after the meeting with Cruz, Mettee-McCutchon announced her candidacy for the District 4 seat. The appointment process is confidential, and although the supervisorial post is nonpartisan, Mettee-McCutchon is a Republican. In June, Democrat Jane Parker will run against Mettee-McCutchon. Parker lost a close election to Smith in 2004.