The Marin County Board of Supervisors will meet behind closed doors Friday, July 24, to evaluate the performance of County Executive Derek Johnson, the official who oversees the county's $902 million budget and all its departments.
Board President Eric Lucan called the special meeting, according to a notice posted July 16, on the county's Granicus agenda portal. The session is set for 1:30 p.m. in Room 324A of the Marin County Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael.
The agenda lists a single item: a closed-session public employee performance evaluation of the County Executive. No public comment period appears on the agenda. Under the Brown Act, closed sessions do not require one. The meeting will convene in open session for roll call, then move immediately behind closed doors.
Why it matters for southern Marin
Johnson's office sets goals for every county department, from public works and parks to health and human services. His staff prepares the budget that funds flood control, road maintenance, and social services across Mill Valley, Corte Madera, Larkspur, Tiburon, and the rest of the county.
The Board appointed Johnson in April 2024 after voting in late 2023 to shift from a county administrator model to a county executive structure, ending a leadership framework that had been in place for nearly 70 years. In May 2025, supervisors unanimously approved a restructuring plan that added 17 positions to Johnson's office at an annual cost of roughly $2.5 million. Johnson now has four assistant county executives, each overseeing a cluster of departments.
"This new structure is about delivering better outcomes for our residents," Johnson said in an April 30 county news release announcing the restructuring appointments. "We cannot address today's challenges with yesterday's approach."
What the public will and won't learn
Under California's Brown Act, boards may conduct employee performance evaluations in closed session. The substance of the discussion stays confidential unless the board takes reportable action, such as changing Johnson's compensation or employment status. If the board does act, the clerk must report the outcome publicly after the session.
No staff report or explanatory material accompanies the agenda item. The notice does not state why the evaluation is being held at this point in the fiscal year, and no public document reviewed explains the timing.
How to monitor
The open-session portion of the Friday, July 24, meeting will be broadcast live at marincounty.gov. Late agenda materials can be inspected at the Clerk of the Board office, Room 329, Marin County Civic Center, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Residents can submit written comments to the board by emailing [email protected].
