Sonora, CA — The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors approved a contract with Tamera Blankenship to be the new Community Development Director following the resignation of Quincy Yaley in July of last year.
Blankenship is also the Tuolumne County Transportation Council (TCTC) Executive Director, and her hiring as CDD Director will be a part-time position, allowing her to do both.
TCTC is a separate entity, a regional planning agency that develops transportation-related projects for the County of Tuolumne and the City of Sonora. Its board of directors includes two members of the board of supervisors, two city council members, and an at-large member. Before stepping into the TCTC role in January of 2025, Blankenship was a housing development specialist with the Tuolumne County Community Development Department. CDD oversees land use decisions in the county, and its actions also impact economic development (whether projects are able to proceed).
She will be a 75% full-time equivalent employee with both CDD and TCTC. Her contract specific to CDD will span three years, and the starting salary at 75% will equate to $99,408 annually.
District Five Supervisor Jaron Brandon was the lone supervisor in opposition, praising Blankenship, but not the logistics. He says it results in her receiving about 150% of a salary that she would have received for just one of the positions. He also raised concerns about there not being set office hours between the two roles.
District Three Supervisor Anaiah Kirk acknowledged Supervisor Brandon’s perspective but argued that it has been a hard position to fill, and that Blankenship is the best person (given her background) to step into a role that has become very political over the past year. He called it a “new day forward.”
Supervisors Mike Holland, Steve Griefer, and Ryan Campbell all praised the hiring. Campbell also acknowledged the concerns of Supervisor Brandon, but noted that the position has been open for a long time, and there is a lot of work in CDD to get done.
Planning Commission Chair Jerry Morrow also encouraged the board to approve Blankenship’s contract, adding that she is “very smart and competent,” having worked with her in the past.
After the 4-1 vote, Blankenship stated, “I’m very appreciative of this opportunity. I think it is exciting, the willingness to try something creative.”
She steps into the role on August 24.
