Shasta County has apparently made a decision in hiring a replacement to take over for Larry Lees. The position of Chief Executive Officer, formerly called Chief Administrative Officer, is very powerful and influential and is much like a county version of a city manager. Rarely does a Board of Supervisors depart from recommendations made by a County CEO. He’s responsible for the annual budget, oversight of hundreds of personnel, and countless other organizational tasks. On Tuesday the board is expected to hand the many duties of the job to a man named Matthew Pontes. He comes from Santa Barbara County, where he’s been Assistant Executive Officer since 2016. If the board approves, Pontes will start January 20th with a 3 year contract earning $240,000 a year. Larry Lees retired last month after 14 years on the job.