Quick Take
Carlos Palacios, Santa Cruz County's top government executive, will retire in December after nearly a decade at the helm.
Carlos Palacios, Santa Cruz County’s top bureaucrat, announced Thursday that he will step down from his post as county executive officer in December after eight years at the helm.
Palacio’s decision now sets off a national search for the county’s next top executive, a position that oversees a more than $1.2 billion budget and a workforce in the thousands.
In a media release sent early Thursday, Palacios called his tenure serving Santa Cruz County the “honor of a lifetime” and that he looked forward to “supporting a smooth transition.”
In that release, Palacios did not offer a reason for his decision. He began his local government career in 1992 with the City of Watsonville, where he quickly rose to become city manager by 1996. According to the county’s release, he was “one of the first Latino city managers in the state of California.” Palacios was also the first Latino county executive officer when hired in 2017.
Felipe Hernandez, chair of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, said Palacios has been one of the “most consequential public servants” in the county’s history.
“He led us through some of the toughest times our community has ever faced — from wildfires to a pandemic to historic flooding — with grace, resolve, and a deep sense of compassion,” Hernandez said in the release. “He was the embodiment of an exceptional public servant, and we will miss his wisdom, counsel and leadership.”