Riverside County Supervisor Kevin Jeffries says so-long after 12 years

The most senior member of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors closed out his political career today, attending his final board meeting, where he was lauded by colleagues who recognized him as "very principled'' and a "mentor."

Supervisor Kevin Jeffries, 64, of Lakeland Village will officially retire on Jan. 1, but Tuesday was the last board meeting of 2024, providing a final opportunity for official farewells.

"You've been a mentor to me, and when I needed your help or guidance, you were always open,'' Supervisor Karen Spiegel said during a presentation in which Jeffries received a nearly three-foot-long commemorative gavel and a plaque with a resolution highlighting his service -- which included never missing one board meeting from his first day in January 2013 to now.   

"I'm going to sorely miss ... the knowledge and your experience that you were available to share with us,'' Spiegel added. "Thank you for the opportunities. I'm really going to miss you.''

Jeffries, well-known for his preference to expedite the pace of meetings, was "tortured'' by his colleagues' presentation "that he didn't ask for and didn't want,'' Chairman Chuck Washington joked. The farewell lasted for roughly a half-hour and included video highlights from the early days of "Kevin's Corner,'' the supervisor's log of activities in his First District.   

"You always knew where Kevin was coming from,'' Supervisor Manuel Perez said, referring back to the 2000s, when the two men were in the state Assembly. "He's very principled. He never played gotcha. There are flip-floppers, but he wasn't like that. Here, I've gotten to know him even more. More than anything, he's wanted to make sure Riverside County could be better. He really picked up that mantle. Muchas gracias, compadre."  

Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez praised Jeffries for his "out-of-the-box thinking.''  

"Your different perspective has really helped me see things a different way,'' he said. "I'm going to miss you."  

During the presentation, Jeffries received two standing ovations. Obviously humbled by the experience, he said little, remarking, "Thank you all. It's been an honor."

The supervisor, the sole Republican on the board, was first elected to it in November 2012 and won each of his successive races, for a total of three four-year terms. He previously served three terms in the Assembly.   

He served as chair twice -- in 2019 and 2023. The position is rotated among the five supervisorial districts, with a new appointment each year.   

Jeffries has been a fiscal hawk and critic of converting the Inland Empire into a giant warehousing district, often standing as the lone vote in opposition to mega projects, which he has complained are a growing blight and crowd out opportunities for other developments.

He has consistently warned that county government's financial position is tenuous, at best, because of excessive pension costs and other hefty outlays for collective-bargaining units and payments to settle lawsuits. He declined all pay increases for himself, making him the lowest paid board member.

Jeffries challenged some of the sheriff's department's spending priorities and expressed concern about the continued disuse of two-thirds of the Benoit Detention Center in Indio. He additionally advocated for dual use of sheriff's helicopters to help fight wildfires, though Sheriff Chad Bianco balked at the proposition.   

The deployment of law enforcement aircraft for firefighting is not uncommon, including in neighboring Arizona.   

Throughout the COVID lockdowns, Jeffries joined then-Supervisor Jeff Hewitt in attempting to push back against some of the restrictions that he felt undermined residents' civil liberties and threatened the existence of small businesses.

Jeffries was also at the center of efforts to ensure election integrity, backing the formation of committees to identify problems and come up with solutions.

The supervisor in 2022 took the lead in pressing departments to pull back processing applications for cannabis storefront operations, noting how the board was regularly approving conditional use permits, but operators were often years delayed in actually opening marijuana sales outlets. Jeffries was at the forefront of establishing criteria for the county's marijuana licensing framework, even though he was initially opposed to cannabis sales in general after the First District became overwhelmed by illegal grows and sales sites.   

Improving efficiencies and resources within the county fire department was among his foremost concerns.

Jeffries was a volunteer county fireman from 1977 to 2006, working as a full-time seasonal firefighter in 1981 and later becoming an emergency medical technician as part of his volunteer service.

In addition to the political scene, he has been a real estate investor for decades, running a business at the same time as serving in government.   

He announced his decision to retire in October 2021, saying that although he had roots in Riverside County going back to 1971, "my children and grandchildren are part of the growing numbers of Californians who have moved out of state for affordable housing, lower crime rates and a better quality of life elsewhere,'' and he and his wife wanted to remain involved in their lives.  

They'll be relocating to a mountain community near Boise, Idaho.   

In the November election, former Assemblyman Jose Medina, D-Riverside, won the race for the First Supervisorial District seat. He will be sworn in on or around New Year's Day.