Newly appointed San Diego Association of Governments board chair Nora Vargas, left, speaks with SANDAG attorney John Kirk, middle, and CEO Hasan Ikhrata during a meeting in January. (Sandy Huffaker for inewsource)
Leaders of the San Diego Association of Governments say they hope to hire a new chief executive by May to succeed outgoing CEO Hasan Ikhrata — and early talks about how to move forward included a discussion of decentralizing the position’s power altogether.
One board member proposed hiring two co-CEOs to lead the agency, an idea that could work in the short term with interim leadership, but not for a permanent solution, the agency’s attorney said, citing state laws that govern SANDAG.
Ikhrata submitted his resignation in July, indicating that he will step down as CEO officially in December. Whoever gets the job next will take over a public agency with a $1 billion annual budget that helps make transportation and other long-term regional decisions.
Ikhrata’s supporters, especially environmentalists, have praised his commitment to reducing emissions, including efforts to stop freeway widening projects and increase public transit options. But he’s also received heavy criticism over his support for a plan to impose a vehicle mileage charge on drivers, a new fee the SANDAG board has rejected, and poor oversight of the regional agency.
Under Ikhrata’s watch, internal auditors found patterns of improper severance payments, employee credit card misuse, millions of dollars worth of increases to consultant contracts without proper documentation, and a loss of $1.8 million in revenue for ignoring disconnected toll stations.
As SANDAG’s board of directors looks forward with recruitment, community stakeholders made up of the region’s mayors, council members and transportation agencies say they want to weigh in on the process. Next month, SANDAG will begin public outreach to get feedback from community stakeholders, community groups and staff. Engagement efforts may include online surveys, public meetings and focus groups.
Read the full article on inewsource.org.
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