Why is an Assistant County Counsel who is retiring, cost the County and taxpayers money in litigation being given a raise for doing her job?

At their Jan 20, 2015 meeting the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted  unanimously to direct CAO Hanes to enter into agreement with Frank DeMarco of the Hanson Bridgett Law Firm to be interim County Counsel. County Counsel Wendy Chaitin's retired and January 20, 2015 was her last meeting.

From the February 24 meeting, agenda item #5 is:

Temporary Increase in Compensation for Assistant County Counsel (4/5ths Vote Required) That the Board of Supervisors, by not less than a four-fifths vote and pursuant to Section 7 of the Humboldt County Salary Resolution, approves a temporary increase in compensation of 22 salary ranges for Assistant County Counsel Carolyn Ruth, effective February 24, 2015 and continuing until appointment of a new County Counsel or June 5, 2015, whichever occurs first.

This brilliant idea is a suggestion by Frank J. DeMarco, Consultant Interim County Counsel.
Listed below are the recommendations in a letter to the Supervisors which is an attachment on the agenda.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the Board of Supervisors, by not less than a four-fifths vote and pursuant to Section 7 of the Humboldt County Salary Resolution, approves a temporary increase in compensation of 22 salary ranges for Assistant County Counsel Carolyn Ruth, effective February 24, 2015 and continuing until appointment of a new County Counsel or June 5,2015, whichever occurs first.
SOURCE OF FUNDING: General Fund
DISCUSSION:
On January 23, 2015, County Counsel Wendy Chaitin retired from county service. As a result of that
retirement, the Board of Supervisors retained the services of experienced outside counsel to provide
specified contractual advice and guidance. In order to minimize expenditures, retained counsel does
not provide daily onsite management of the office. Daily onsite management is being performed by
Assistant County Counsel, Carolyn Ruth, with the guidance and advice of retained outside counsel. In the absence of a full time county counsel, the Assistant is performing additional duties such as preparing the 2015/16 annual budget and in communication with retained counsel is performing a full range of law office management duties.

So we hired an outside consultant to replace Ms. Chaitin and now we have to pay extra to the assistant County Counsel because she has to assume some extra work that the consultant cannot do?

Supposedly, Ms. Ruth is supposed to retire this June. There is concern by some members of the community that this is a move to get Ms. Ruth the permanent position of County Counsel.

Julie Williams, had this to say about the proposed raise: "In my personal opinion, as a concerned citizen, "It is highly inappropriate to give Ms. Ruth a raise at this time. Merely by looking at her record and the excessive costs to taxpayers for her advice on land use decisions and land use litigation. Ms. Williams cited the Tooby ranch litigation as an example.

In her professional opinion, representing the North Coast Home Builders, Ms Williams said, " We would have deep concerns about Ms. Ruth and her unprofessional behavior and attitude to property owners across  the spectrum,; not just towards local developers who gets permits. It is due to her cohorts which include the former planning director and some former Supervisors that the GPU has been too time consuming and costly". Ms. Williams used an example the time Ms. Ruth cited to the Supervisors a state statute as a basis for the County to adopt an emergency tpz ordinance. "Trouble is, in her staff report to the BOS, Ms. Ruth changed a comma to a period, omitted several lines and told the Board to move forward on the tpz ordinance. We have deep concern that even though Tuesday's agenda item says the increase would be temporary in nature, sometimes things happen and it is our fear that this could be a potential move to keep Ms. Ruth on staff permanently which we would oppose. She has turned in her resignation."