The Desert Sun Editorial Board

Residents of Riverside County’s Fourth District have seen nearly 130 days go by without their own representative on the important board of supervisors. Gov. Brown, why the delay in your decision on who should complete the term of the late John Benoit?

County supervisors remain down a member as they struggle with major priority decisions in piecing together the next $5.4 billion spending plan. They’ve already had to cancel at least one meeting due to lack of a quorum, and this is time they cannot afford to lose.

Those of us who live in the Fourth District – which covers the Coachella Valley and extends east to the Arizona border and south to the Salton Sea – deserve to have our own representative on the board that is making these tough calls.

THE SHORT LIST?: Brown whittles candidates down to three

OUR VOICE: What the ideal candidate should bring to the post

It has been reported that the field for what is your sole decision as to who will represent, through 2018, this geographically largest of districts has been narrowed to three candidates. While your finalists have not been confirmed, Democrat V. Manuel Pérez, a former Assemblyman and current Coachella City Councilman, and Republican Palm Desert Mayor Jan Harnik have said they’ve been through the interview process. In addition, Riverside County Board of Education member Elizabeth Romero, a Democrat, is seen as a strong contender.

This is a nonpartisan post, so we’d like to believe that those who are among your top three are receiving complete consideration, regardless of party. Still, if party affiliation is a major part of your calculus as most suspect, making your pick sooner rather than later will help this person as a candidate for re-election next year.

Simply said, you are not doing the next supervisor any favors by delaying this decision longer than necessary, giving him or her less time to acclimate to the position and develop a record to tout and defend. While Democrats like yourself hold a decided advantage over Republicans in district registration, voters who state no party preference are a sizable and growing contingent that easily could swing an election.

Benoit was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and was sworn to complete the late Roy Wilson’s term as Fourth District supervisor in 2009, just over 90 days after Wilson’s death. We believe there has been enough time to vet Benoit’s successor and give those who live in his far-flung district a new voice in county government.

Give us our new supervisor, Gov. Brown.