The most senior member of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors closed out his political career today, attending his final board meeting, where he was lauded by colleagues who recognized him as “very principled” and a “mentor.”
Supervisor Kevin Jeffries, 64, of Lakeland Village will officially retire on Jan. 1, but Tuesday was the last board meeting of 2024, providing a final opportunity for official farewells.
“You’ve been a mentor to me, and when I needed your help or guidance, you were always open,” Supervisor Karen Spiegel said during a presentation in which Jeffries received a nearly three-foot-long commemorative gavel and a plaque with a resolution highlighting his service — which included never missing one board meeting from his first day in January 2013 to now.
“I’m going to sorely miss … the knowledge and your experience that you were available to share with us,” Spiegel added. “Thank you for the opportunities. I’m really going to miss you.”
Jeffries, well-known for his preference to expedite the pace of meetings, was “tortured” by his colleagues’ presentation “that he didn’t ask for and didn’t want,” Chairman Chuck Washington joked. The farewell lasted for roughly a half-hour and included video highlights from the early days of “Kevin’s Corner,” the supervisor’s log of activities in his First District.