County Supervisor McDaniel moves into new office

Atwater native Daron McDaniel celebrated two milestones Monday: turning 50 and being officially sworn in as a member of the Merced County Board of Supervisors.

In a short ceremony Monday, county Assessor Barbara Levey administered McDaniel’s oath of office before the newly elected supervisor moved into his office. County Supervisors Deidre Kelsey, John Pedrozo and Hub Walsh were on hand to watch their new colleague’s swearing in.

McDaniel was a top contender for the District 3 supervisor seat after incumbent Linn Davis lost his re-election bid during the primary last year. McDaniel defeated his competitor, Tony Dossetti, a Merced city councilman, with more than 55 percent of the vote during the November election.

Between catching up on paperwork and studying county-related issues on Monday, McDaniel had a full plate for his first day on the job. But the new supervisor already made plans to connect with constituents in the next few months.

McDaniel, who resigned his position last week as a congressional aide for Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, plans to host a town hall meeting at Castle Commerce Center, in addition to holding office hours at the former Air Force base and Atwater City Hall.

“I want to do exactly what I did previously for the congressman, which is being out and about and meeting people,” McDaniel told the Merced Sun-Star. “You can’t really reach out to folks sitting in an office. So I want to go out there and talk to people and meet business owners.”

In another attempt to improve communication with constituents, McDaniel asked that his personal cellphone number be printed on county business cards. “I campaigned on the fact that I wanted to be the most accessible elected official in the area,” he said, “and I’m committing to continuing that.”

Board Chairman and Supervisor Jerry O’Banion did not attend McDaniel’s ceremony because of another commitment, but spoke with him early Monday morning.

“I look forward to working with him. He was selected by the folks in District 3, and I think he will represent them well,” O’Banion said.

O’Banion, who’s been on the Board of Supervisors for 25 years, had some advice for the new supervisor. “Return phone calls,” he said. “That’s probably the most important thing. When constituents call, try to do what you can to help them, but be honest with them if you don’t have an answer.”

This story was originally published January 5, 2015 at 5:23 PM with the headline "County Supervisor McDaniel moves into new office."