Shaw announces his decision to resign effective March 15

Publisher’s note: The original headline for this story mistakenly reported Shaw’s retirement rather than his resignation. LassenNews regrets the error.

Lassen County Administrative Officer Tony Shaw announced his resignation effective March 15 in an email reportedly sent to members of the Lassen County Board of Supervisors and Lassen County Department heads.

In a Tuesday, Feb. 11 email addressed to chairman Tom Neely, Shaw wrote, “I am writing to inform you that I have decided to resign from my position as County Administrative Officer with the County of Lassen. Consider this as my 30-day notice pursuant to my employment agreement. My last day of employment shall be March 15, 2025.”

LassenNews was unable to obtain a comment from Shaw for this story.

The Lassen County Board of Supervisors unanimously appointed Deputy County Administrative Office Tony Shaw as the new County Administrative Officer to succeed retiring CAO Richard Egan at its Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024 meeting. Shaw assumed the duties of CAO about six weeks ago, Sunday, Dec. 29.

During that meeting, Egan said, “Let me start off by saying I think you guys made a really good decision … You picked the right guy for the right job at the right time.”

Board awards higher salary than negotiated
“The job Mr. Shaw is about to embark on is fully-encompassing,” Egan said later in the meeting. “He’s well qualified in terms of education, experience, etc. I would just ask you to consider in the contact, the salaries that have recently been negotiated with the LMUD general manager, the city of Susanville city manager and the Lassen Community College president — all of which are significantly higher.”

Egan noted the LMUD’s general manager’s gross salary is $265,000 with a guaranteed 10 percent raise each year, the city manager earns $221,000 and the college president earns $240,000.

Shaw said he arrived at asking for a salary of $184,163.20 by polling CAO salaries at the state’s 17 smallest counties ad those represented by Trindel, which were much higher. He also noted he would receive a 5 percent yearly salary increase just like every other county employee.

District 2 Supervisor Gary Bridges called Shaw one of the fairest people working for the county.

District 1 Supervisor Chris Gallagher, asked to modify Shaw’s contract and move him up a salary step to more than $192,000 per year, and the board agreed.

Shaw agreed the responsibility he was assuming was “high and complex,” and he also added he’d “love to make more money.”