Sheryl Bratton, assistant Sonoma County counsel, to be next county administrator

Sonoma County supervisors have selected a top attorney from within their own ranks to be the next county administrator, taking over for Veronica Ferguson when she steps down in October.

Sheryl Bratton, the assistant county counsel and a 24-year county employee, is set to take the helm of the largest local government, including a workforce of 4,100, in what amounts to her first chief executive post.

Supervisor Efren Carrillo, the board chairman, said Bratton has overseen a range of complex issues and projects as a county attorney, including deals connected to the county landfill, the former Community Hospital on Chanate Road and financing for the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit line.

“The board is very excited to take on this next chapter with Sheryl and continue progress on various county initiatives, whether it’s roads, housing, homelessness or health and human services,” Carrillo said. “She has a demonstrated ability to deal with complex issues, and her experience with the county is an absolute strength.”

Bratton, 53, was among three finalists for the post. Carrillo said the other two were applicants from outside Sonoma County government.

Bratton’s primary responsibility will be oversight of the county workforce and the county’s $1.66 billion budget.

On Wednesday Bratton called the county “a high-performing organization” and said she looks forward to her new role working with elected officials and “an awesome group of employees.”

“I really want to build upon the collaborative culture in this organization,” she said.

She hopes one day “to leave the organization even at a higher performing level,” she said, and to make a positive impact on the community by carrying out the board’s priorities.

Leaders in county government praised her work.

“I can say that Sheryl is the best manager in the county, bar none,” said Sonoma County Counsel Bruce Goldstein, who has worked with Bratton for 18 years.

Asked to describe her style of management, Goldstein replied, “She really brings out the best of people in terms of achieving goals … She’s very collaborative but sets high standards.”

Ferguson said in a statement she was thrilled by Bratton’s selection.

“Having served this county in other capacities for many years, Sheryl has a deep understanding of the organization, and a passion for serving Sonoma County,” Fergsuson said. “She is tenacious and unflappable, and I am delighted to have such a qualified individual to hand over the reins to.”

Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch said Bratton “brings a new perspective to the position” and will “enhance the work that we do here at the county.”

“I think it’s a terrific selection and I look forward to working with her in her new position,” Ravitch said.

Bratton will take over for Ferguson, who served six years as county administrator, a month before the general election to determine who succeeds Carrillo representing western Sonoma County. Also, voters will weigh in on two tax measures advanced by the board - an increase on hotel-bed taxes on overnight lodging in the unincorporated area and a half-cent sales tax increase, also in the unincorporated area, to pay for deferred maintenance and upgrades at existing county parks and opening new parks.

The county’s financial outlook is much brighter than the grim forecast that faced Ferguson when she assumed the top job in 2010. After several years of deep budget and staff cuts, resurgent tax revenue has allowed the county to fill open positions and launch new high-profile initiatives. It has poured tens of millions of dollars in discretionary funds into road maintenance, allocated millions for development of affordable housing and sought to develop a program to launch universal countywide preschool.

Still, the county-maintained road network remains among the worst in the Bay Area, and the county’s employee pension costs continue to rise, despite state and local reforms, chewing up 19 percent of total payroll costs, or about $113 million, a 500 percent jump since 2000.

Carrillo said Bratton was “extremely qualified” to take on the demanding job, which makes her the main liaison between five elected supervisors - two of which will be in their first term - and 26 other department heads.

Bratton joined the County Counsel’s Office as a deputy attorney in 1992. Previously, she was a lawyer with the San Francisco-based law firm Morrison and Foerster, where she specialized in land use, real estate and business law.

Her undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley is in urban planning and her law degree is from the University of San Francisco. She also holds a master’s degree in business administration from USF.

Bratton, who lives in Penngrove with her wife and daughter, will be the second woman to hold the county’s top executive post. She is set to receive a salary of $249,369, making her one of the top-paid public officials in Sonoma County. Her current salary is $181,120.

You can reach Staff Writer Angela Hart at 707-526-8503 or angela.hart@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ahartreports.