Shasta County CEO Matt Pontes to resign

REDDING, Calif. — Shasta County CEO Matt Pontes has announced plans to resign from his post with the county.

Pontes has served as the CEO of Shasta County since 2020. In April, Shasta County Supervisor Patrick Jones called for a performance evaluation of Pontes.

It came about because he admitted he was convicted of a felony in the theft of $420 almost 30 years ago when he was 20 years old. His record has since been cleared and Board Member Joe Chimenti said the board and a citizens committee had thoroughly vetted Pontes before he was hired.

The board voted to support Pontes 4-1 with Jones dissenting.

Pontes's letter to the Shasta County Board of Supervisors:

As I approach the final six months of my three-year contract with the County, I have been carefully evaluating my time serving the people of Shasta County. It has been an honor to serve this community, work with professionals both at the County as well as throughout the community, and to lead Shasta County in delivering important services to our communities. I am proud to be leaving the County on the most solid, financial ground its seen in decades; this balanced budget will enable County leadership and staff to strategically plan and implement the priorities and goals of the Board. I am confident the County team will bring continued success in enhancing programs and facilities, that will serve the community for decades to come.

I remain impressed by the dedicated, caring, and talented team at the County. I value their incredible efforts and how they forge ahead for the greater good, despite disasters, health crises and the challenging times we've faced over the past few years. We have a Board that represents the will of our districts, department heads and leadership who are seasoned experts in their fields, and passionate community/business leaders to ensure our County remains focused on doing what is right. Among many projects I am proud to have been a part of, Shasta now has a permanent multi-disciplinary Illegal Marijuana Eradication Program & Task Force built into the budget, forward progress on a new Corrections and Rehabilitation Center, a Regional Emergency Operations Center finishing construction, and after becoming a Board and Sheriff's priority, for the first time in over a decade, our Deputy Sheriff positions are almost 100% staffed. There will be many great successes ahead, as the community continues to come together and focus on priorities.

I am grateful to have been able to serve Shasta County

Best,

Matthew P. Pontes

In a statement to KRCR Board Chairman Les Baugh said "I’m excited for Matt. Everyone should be bold enough to chase their dreams. Thanks to his confident leadership, Shasta County remains strong financially, headed in a positive direction. I told Matt he can count on me for a very positive referral!”

Supervisor Tim Garman issued the following statement to KRCR:

"I am thankful I had the opportunity to get to know Matt Pontes and understand his vision for Shasta County. I supported Mr. Pontes and I am disappointed in his resignation. I will miss his leadership and wish him nothing but the best moving forward.

Now my focus shifts to his replacement. We have some great people here at the County and I will do my due diligence in finding a capable replacement that will keep up the great work Mr. Pontes has started. Public safety will remain my #1 goal in this process."