BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner missed his third consecutive board meeting on Tuesday following accusations of alleged sexual abuse against his own child.
Meanwhile, the four-term supervisor’s absence has generated frustration among constituents and residents. A group of them gathered outside the Kern County administrative building where supervisors met early Tuesday.
Some carried signs reading “recall Scrivner,” while others asked the community to reserve judgment – pending the outcome of a state investigation. On April 25th, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said Scrivner had been allegedly stabbed at his home by his own child, over accusations Scrivner sexually assaulted a separate child.
“I think our first order should be to pray and not accuse,” said Bakersfield Pastor Angelo Frazier.
No criminal charges have been filed against Scrivner. But patience is in short supply for Teri Kahn, who lives in Scrivner’s District 2.
“He’s no longer representing us, he’s not showing up,” she said. “Sorry he’s having a hard time, but if he needs to deal with that then he needs to step down.”
Kern County Chairman David Couch assured the public that he and other supervisors are working to assist residents of District 2, which is home to more than 200,000 people in southern Kern County.
Push to remove Scrivner grows
County officials outlined possible routes for removing Scrivner from office at a May supervisors meeting. The lengthy report offered no straightforward answers though, with most options ending in an appointment from the governor. But that's an outcome many in the red-leaning district say they don’t want.
If Scrivner resigns voluntarily before Aug. 9, the seat would be up for election in November. If a resignation were to come after that date, then the seat would likely remain vacant through 2026 – the end of Scrivner’s term.
That’s not ideal either, according to Jim Robinson, a Kern County teacher who attended Tuesday’s rally.
“In the meantime, governance of Kern County still has to go on. We cannot just settle for a four-supervisor board,” he said.
Scrivner has officially been on medical leave since early May, according to his attorney H.A. Sala. Sala has denied all allegations against Scrivner but has so far refused to disclose the supervisor’s whereabouts.
In the meantime, the California Attorney General is continuing to review evidence collected by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.
