Hal Brown: The End of an Era

Co-workers, constituents and just regular old fans gathered Tuesday morning to honor retiring Marin County Supervisor Hal Brown for his 29 years of serving the people of Ross Valley. Brown, who to focus on his health as he recovers from pancreatic cancer, leaves a storied legacy in his wake.

Novato's Judy Arnold, who represents most of Novato on the board of supervisors, sat next to Brown when she was first elected to the seat in 2007 and in 2009 was vice president when Brown was serving as board president.

"He accomplished a great deal during his 29-year tenure — creating and preserving open space, reducing fire danger in Ross Valley," Arnold said Tuesday. "As he always said, 'Fill the potholes. That’s what people care about.' He will be missed."

In December 1982, Brown, an insurance broker from Sleepy Hollow, was appointed by his cousin Gov. Jerry Brown to replace Barbara Boxer as she left her supervisor’s seat for Congress. Before his appointment, Brown had served on the Marin County Civil Grand Jury, the Sleepy Hollow Homeowners Association, and coached youth baseball and soccer, but never held office.

“I thought I’d do it for the end of the term and that’s it,” Brown said last week. “But, I absolutely love what I do and the people kept me in.”

The first time she worked for him, long-time aid Katie Rice said, he told her "You've got to love your job."

In the three decades he’s served the Ross Valley as its supervisor, both that job and the Ross Valley he loves have changed.

Looking back, Brown said the valley has grown; school enrollment is up and traffic has increased. Not only are there more people in his district now, but the demands on the supervisor job have changed. The expectations of what people want local government to help with have also increased, said Brown. And with it, his expectation of the job being part-time changed too.

In a comprehensive lookback at his time in office, The Marin Independent Journal dug into its archives for quotes from the supervisor during his early time in office.

Brown initially continued his work as an insurance broker, telling the Independent Journal in 1985 he was a "workaholic fiscal conservative" who believed in part-time citizen politicians. "The last thing I would want is a full-time politician making $60,000 to $70,000 a year," the rookie politician said at a time the county post paid half that. "You might wind up in a position where you'll do something you don't want to do to get re-elected."

Although she remains his best friend, Brown and his wife, Gloria, divorced, and his life became increasingly inseparable from the Civic Center. He dropped his insurance job, began banking his entire paycheck, enrolled in the county pension program and devoted full time to what is now a $100,000-a-year post. 

Through all the years, Brown established a reputation as a fiscal conservative and effective leader, willing to address all the needs — big and small — of his constituents.

The most important thing he did in his time, he said was "answer every single phone call and be real, real close to the people in my district." It is the open-door policy and eagerness to hear all comers that those who worked with Brown most frequently mention when speaking about the supervisor.

Brown was so eager to hear from regular citizens that he sometimes balked if a fellow supervisor took too long of a turn at the microphone. Arnold tells one story about an incident in 2007 shortly after she was elected.

"We have metal partitions separating our desks," she said. "If I started to speak for more than a minute, Hal would kick the partition. If I didn’t stop after shortly after the kick, he would turn off his mike, and make a noise like hurt animal. I learned to be very succinct that year."

But his impatience with long-winded speeches was justified, she said.

"He had an uncanny ability to cut through all the rhetoric and get to the core question that needed answering," Arnold said.

Fairfax Council Member David Weinsoff said he was reminded of a story Brown once told about his uncle, Gov. Pat Brown, that also "reflected the way he [Hal Brown] governed so well." Pat Brown was so popular, said Weinsoff, and open to talk with any and all Californians that, when he was driving through Marin, filling the car with gas became an hour long stop as person after person came up to him.

San Anselmo Council Member Tom McInerney wrote a , saying, "Hal also exhibited an understated form of leadership. He is not self-aggrandizing, and he was the rare politician who did not demand or expect fealty from those he served. You’d often find Hal sitting at his dining room table in sweats, with files strewn about, offering his guests a glass of white wine as he worked to build consensus and collaboration on matters of importance to his district."

And f about the large shoes that are being left to fill. 

"Hal was the first one that you called and usually things moved forward with a speed not expected from government," he said.

Brown leaves some unfinished work behind him, including completion of the expected to start in the next few years and to be funded out of the money from the controversial 2007 Ross Valley flood fee that averaged $125 per parcel.

The legal battle over the fee, which went all the way to the California Supreme Court before the mail-in vote was upheld, was “by far” the most controversial issue he had championed in his three decades, Brown said. But, he felt it was important to use the consensus coming out of the 2005 flood to actually take steps to prevent future devastating floods.

"I'm proud of it, even though it was a very controversial move," said Brown.

Brown also championed the preservation of open space, acquiring 1,700 acres in the Ross Valley. And he was particularly proud of his work forming the Childcare Commission and founding the Valentine’s Ball Foundation, raising $250,000 for a charity each year.

According to The IJ:

Brown broke ranks with colleagues by becoming the board's most frugal supervisor, a title he held for years. He initially declined pension benefits, refused to use a county phone card and donated a $865 pay raise to charity. He stayed home when four other supervisors junketed to an association meeting in San Diego, saying there was plenty of work to do in Marin.

Throughout the years, he most notably ensured that his Ross Valley received money for roads, parks, public transit and charitable projects big and small.

Though , Brown hoped to continue to fill his duties. Unable to attend meetings, he worked behind the scenes on constituent issues, said Rice.

But, Brown felt it was time to both focus on his health and provide the people of the Ross Valley with a supervisor able to attend all public meetings.

"It's much more fair to them if there's someone in there fulltime," he said. "It's the best thing for me and the best thing for the district."

His retirement, which he called “bittersweet,” offers the long-time supervisor a chance to focus on his health, rest, and exercise. Already, both Rice and Brown said, he’s been looking and feeling better – something his many fans will be happy to hear. He’s received countless cards and support. Even during our interview over the phone, Brown was interrupted by someone stopping by to wish him well.

"It's the end of an era," said Rice.

Arnold said Brown's presence has been felt by the other supervisors at every meeting since he went on hiatus.

"I think at one point or another during our meetings, we will think, 'I wonder what Hal would do,'" she said.

Brown said he has no plans for trips abroad and new hobbies in his retirement, but he does intend to stay intimately involved in Marin affairs. He even hopes to continue work on county pension issues as the Board of Supervisors struggles with the complicated problem.

That’s good news for his successor and his Ross Valley.

"I wish I could have stayed on a little longer," he said.