[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6177993,"mediaKeyId","5330190-7e2ae42561eabbd8cf43273d765b450b","parentId",5330190,"title","Supervisor Rivera objects as board clears agenda item on delinquent tax accounts; questions about removing debts from roll","audioSeconds",135,"startMs",1840000,"endMs",1975000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5330190-7e2ae42561eabbd8cf43273d765b450b&start=1840&end=1975","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5330190-7e2ae42561eabbd8cf43273d765b450b/thumbnail_1840000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6177993/Merced-County/California/Supervisor-Rivera-objects-as-board-clears-agenda-item-on-delinquent-tax-accounts-questions-about-removing-debts-from-roll","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6177993-cf35cdc51990b8e493f0272dae2c0fd0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770511717&Signature=O6fLu0HnyIoH-E5JZW~OvuVrxk5OscM2BCe3DaIV37h24xEEdnQUhKD7nIDOakgLIU1Bem0zjU626NVcupvlgHWMjDMuO-x9GAL1oQZOro9IBYljrAt8N4NgC0VfjoR3QXPW3cxW~AsKqUDR0FOzpKR7ugtTu5pf5tSj~AVkLe09gpTMggT6JJTyR76kh2eZ6C1dUjwTVX5M5fM5qh8RM2LI2637vBsHoaNohnRVa4a3-vtAdS8TkbAaumRnFb2lA8xDmD7~kpO6EbIhILeY3cB~DTKxstbCIdb7gmGXQ4Z0QIZDTsjdbtSOlFUSecuzOou3Jz-u7jIeFqJLEz0XoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Merced County, CA","date","2025-07-08T00:00:00Z","article","A Merced County supervisor raised objections to an agenda item that removed delinquent tax accounts from the active roll, saying the county should explain how it will continue to hold debtors accountable after removal.

Supervisor Henry Rivera told the Board of Supervisors he would vote no on the Treasurer-Tax Collector item and said county staff should be present to answer questions about the list of accounts proposed for removal. “I will be voting no on this item because I feel that it's important that if you have an item on the agenda, that anytime a question could be answered, somebody should be here,” Rivera said during public comment.

Rivera noted the package included many small balances, including one account listed at $26.30, and also some larger amounts tied to aviation. He asked what steps the county takes to avoid losing accountability for taxes once accounts are removed from the active role.

The Treasurer-Tax Collector item appeared on the consent calendar as item 27. The board opened public comment on the item during the meeting and a motion to approve consent calendar items (1–15 earlier in the meeting) had passed; the record shows the Treasurer-Tax Collector item was on the consent agenda and discussed briefly during the public-comment period.

Board members did not debate Rivera’s concerns at length on the record during the meeting. The transcript shows the item moved forward as part of routine consent business; specific follow-up actions or a staff response to Rivera’s questions were not recorded in the meeting minutes.

Rivera’s public remarks raised two questions board staff may need to clarify at a later meeting or via staff response: what thresholds guide removal of accounts from the active roll, and how the county monitors or collects taxes after an account is administratively removed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Supervisors Meeting July 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","During consideration of the Treasurer-Tax Collector agenda item, Supervisor Rivera said he would vote no and questioned the county’s practice of taking certain delinquent tax accounts off the active roll, citing both small-dollar accounts and larger aviation-related debts; the board proceeded with the item on the consent calendar.","taxTitle","Merced County, California","taxId",12479,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6177997,"Board proclaims August 2025 Child Support Awareness Month; county child support office reports near $30 million distributed in FY2024",522,655000,1177000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5330190-7e2ae42561eabbd8cf43273d765b450b&start=655&end=1177","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5330190-7e2ae42561eabbd8cf43273d765b450b/thumbnail_655000.jpg","/articles/6177997/Merced-County/California/Board-proclaims-August-2025-Child-Support-Awareness-Month-county-child-support-office-reports-near-30-million-distributed-in-FY2024","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6177997-796d27bfafcecf13a48a8706d21d3a45/orig.mp4?Expires=1770511717&Signature=dFzReqlkHvZMtffzKl2A9XrbUdmQ2FtwRUbJnzgnGtU3JclMSM2JRm20IVhZjunOCAbylhS23~kst5wTCK1jmny4LAa~lLSmasb0CSoKAaSLHnrcUfqQUVb3-rwzdvREe1uG3VBXtF1u7N8wFh-fxHbDX5QVov9ESa44ggHDiBy8IVVQVIjdxC4ZBUIxLWhR~YYJXiSbIV13-JCIvnNB24DmA~OoFxW3l9u8-aaJ7ZeMp-GpgfVLwh5D1bsIYT7RBYLtyXfMlueJdD9OvjXVONeqC~pZUopd6GgfQobVtkTgaWhomhSRiOpQp8T1Ohwr8Ss3fhUB4qGyi5NmIx1fEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Merced County Board of Supervisors proclaimed August 2025 as Child Support Awareness Month and heard an update from the county Child Support Services director on program activity and a community event.

Jeffrey Watoon, director of Merced County Child Support Services, told the board the program collected and distributed nearly $29.8 million to children and families in federal fiscal year 2024 and served a caseload the director described as about 13,683 cases. He said the county is on pace to exceed $30 million in collections in the current federal fiscal year.

Watoon said nationally $29.6 billion in child support was collected and distributed in federal fiscal year 2023 and that California local child support agencies collected $2.5 billion in 2024. He said the program serves one in five children nationally and helps reduce child poverty.

Watoon invited the public to the department’s sixth annual Kids Connect back-to-school event, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on a July Saturday at Margaret Sheehy Elementary School, where the county and partners will distribute backpacks, school supplies and food boxes and provide community resources. He said the event is free and open to children and guardians.

The proclamation text read during the meeting also states that Merced County had a caseload of 13,600 child support cases in 2024 and served more than 14,700 children; the director’s spoken remarks cited a caseload figure of 13,683 and nearly $29.8 million in county collections. The board approved the proclamation as part of the consent calendar earlier in the meeting.

Watoon noted the program is funded by state and federal funds and described it as cost neutral to the county. He said roughly 92% of the county’s open child support cases had an order established through June of the current year and that the program collected over 64% of the total child support due month to date in the current fiscal year.

The board encouraged residents to attend the Kids Connect event and invited board members to participate.","Merced County declared August 2025 Child Support Awareness Month; county child support officials reported nearly $29.8 million collected and distributed in federal fiscal year 2024 and announced a free community kids event in July.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6178003,"Merced County appoints Mark J. Hendrickson as county executive officer with $283,549 salary",1888,2077000,3965000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5330190-7e2ae42561eabbd8cf43273d765b450b&start=2077&end=3965","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5330190-7e2ae42561eabbd8cf43273d765b450b/thumbnail_2077000.jpg","/articles/6178003/Merced-County/California/Merced-County-appoints-Mark-J-Hendrickson-as-county-executive-officer-with-283549-salary","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6178003-89feb5d32f31b92658c8ae7773e88a16/orig.mp4?Expires=1770511717&Signature=CQAYcjijvH2ltlmDrtei2XTPI9NNRqCVMVYi-zLmUZnV5QPsfFEPIddIqvqfuTCKKA0C-zbvCq0Yg2spbwEt~~A4zLhTMHGKOLDIRHige2VxDhjYcyZbEGXOsbvy-PYNeM8hG7Z-0mG8Pyetet8eEG6EAZzTEb9nU2lFsxiTgmzUuf096wGWoAJSaWA1IpqhZ8WNDGQo0CopV4BCKrpQJh54tWpMLB64RRwDNW0jQ4aU7xE8-9BjdE~2pnNKd03CFPiPaqUAwuqoXz0A~hscy9gUN9RuXhFBjCCgJMpdk80N98nOPz9~F~sshTpA5Dm6uj6XKV5QHktxY12g4zUibQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Merced County supervisors unanimously voted to appoint Mark J. Hendrickson as the county executive officer effective July 8, 2025, and approved an employment agreement that sets his annual salary at $283,549.76.

Hendrickson, a long-time county employee who told the board “this is actually not about me. This is, this is about the future of this county,” said he will pursue higher performance, innovation and improved customer service across county departments.

The appointment was item 30 on the board agenda. Supervisor Lloyd Pacheco moved the appointment and Supervisor Zach McDaniel seconded the motion; the board recorded a unanimous vote in favor. During public comment one speaker criticized the salary increase and another offered congratulations.

Hendrickson told the board the county organization he will lead includes about 2,475 employees and said staff will focus on efficiency and service delivery. “We will be the highest performing county in the state of California, period,” he said during remarks after the vote.

A public commenter who identified themself as a resident criticized the pay increase, calling it “an $18,549 raise, which is essentially 7% rounded up,” and urged the board to explain why the new CEO merits a higher base salary than the prior CEO. In response to public concern about compensation, Supervisor Silvera said the difference between the prior and new base salary reflected raises the county had recently approved for other employees and ongoing labor agreements that start in July.

Adam Reed of Atwater, who identified himself during public comment, congratulated Hendrickson and said he has known him “for a long time” and expects him to benefit the county.

Hendrickson outlined broad priorities for his tenure including innovation, improved customer service, fiscal discipline during potentially lean financial periods and collaborative work with department heads. He acknowledged the county faces “difficult decisions” ahead and told supervisors he would work to implement the board’s policies and direction.

The board did not attach additional conditions to the employment agreement during the meeting. The transcript indicates the board deliberated and then moved directly to the vote; no amendment to the employment agreement was proposed on the record.

The board will next meet on July 22, 2025, when any follow-up items related to the CEO transition could appear on a future agenda.","The Merced County Board of Supervisors unanimously appointed Mark J. Hendrickson as County Executive Officer on July 8, 2025, approving an employment agreement that sets his annual salary at $283,549.76; public commenters questioned the raise and board members said it reflects recent employee contract increases.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Supervisor Rivera objects as board clears agenda item on delinquent tax accounts; questions about removing debts from roll

Board proclaims August 2025 Child Support Awareness Month; county child support office reports near $30 million distributed in FY2024

Merced County appoints Mark J. Hendrickson as county executive officer with $283,549 salary