Two retirements leave void in sheriff's office leadership.

When Sheriff Steve Bernal was sworn in to his first-ever management job in late 2014, he hired experienced people as his top aides. Now, a little over a year in, he’s losing their experience.

Undersheriff Galen Bohner and Chief Deputy Tracy Brown, two of Bernal’s top aides, are retiring.

Jail Chief Mike Moore will leave his role to take over as undersheriff, meaning the sheriff’s office will have a temporary leadership void at the beleaguered county jail—Bernal’s number-one priority—and the patrol operations bureau. Officials expect a national recruitment for a new jail chief to take up to six months. For now, a newly promoted Captain at the jail, with the assistance of Moore, will handle the day-to-day operations at the jail.

After he was elected in November 2014, Bernal hand-picked Bohner, who relocated from San Bernardino County, and Brown, who had retired from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office three years prior, to fill two of his three top posts. Both men received controversial salaries that exceeded those of most county department heads after Bernal made his case to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. “Strong leadership is needed and worth the money,” Bernal said at a March 2015 meeting.

Brown says retirement is a personal decision between him and his wife. He announced his plan to retire during the first week of January, and his last day will be March 4. Brown says it was "fantastic" working for Bernal's administration, adding that he is very thankful for the opportunity.

Bohner’s retirement, effective Feb. 6, appears more abrupt than Brown’s, as Moore was asked last week to take over as undersheriff.

“It wasn’t something I was expecting,” Moore says. “Any time there’s a new challenge and new responsibilities, I think it’s a good thing.”