Though she congratulated her colleague Joey Borges, Valerie Starkey didn’t hide her disappointment at being passed over for chair of the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors.
Starkey, who was sworn into her second term as representative of Del Norte County District 2 earlier this month, was nominated on Tuesday to preside over the Board’s meetings by District 1 Supervisor Darrin Short. That nomination died due to lack of a second.
“I’m only responsible for District 2 and District 2 has supported me and I know where I stand with them,” Starkey told Redwood Voice Community News. “But we go where the need is — we don’t just work in our districts. I have to say that if the supervisors in districts 3, 4 and 5 are not confident in my abilities, then that’s between them and their constituents.”
Borges had been Board of Supervisors vice chair last year with his District 5 colleague, Dean Wilson, serving as chair.
On Tuesday, Wilson provided the second to District 3 Supervisor Chris Howard’s nomination for Borges to step into the chairman position.
In putting forward his nomination for Starkey as chair, Short said that he appreciated his year in the role in 2023 and noted that though she’s starting her second term, Starkey has yet to sit in the center of the dais.
Following the meeting, Short said he couldn’t remember why Starkey, who had been vice chair in 2023, had not had the opportunity to serve as chair in 2024.
“I thought she’d be a good chair and I thought she would do a great job. I still do, but it’s unfortunate she didn’t [get a] second,” Short said. “Joey will do great. I think he’ll do just fine.”
Meanwhile, Starkey’s nomination for Short as Board of Supervisors vice chair stuck with Wilson providing the second.
Borges’ nomination for Howard to fill his former role died due to the lack of a second.
During her Board report, Starkey said she was appointed as ex-officio representative for Assemblyman Chris Rogers at a Del Norte Democratic Central Committee meeting on Monday. This means she’ll report on Rogers’ actions as Del Norte County’s representative in the California Assembly to local Democrats and she gets to vote on Rogers’ behalf at Central Committee meetings.
“If they vote to fund somebody running for an election, for a donation, then I get to have the vote, but it’s on behalf of Chris Rogers,” she said.
At the meeting, Starkey said that she’ll be able to communicate with the new legislator often.
Though her colleagues didn’t support her for Board chair, one member of the public praised Starkey on Tuesday.
“Your graciousness during election proceedings, once again, does not go unnoticed and your district appreciates you,” said Susan Daugherty, representative of Soroptimist International of Crescent City.
