San Luis Obispo County's top administrative officer (CAO), Dan Buckshi, announced May 12 he's leaving his county post to take a city manager job in Walnut Creek.

• COURTESY OF SLO COUNTY
• MOVING ON: SLO County Administrative Officer Dan Buckshi announced he's accepted a city manager position at Walnut Creek. He's been CAO since 2012.

"It is time for a change," Buckshi said in a press release. "I am proud of all we have accomplished during my tenure and am I thankful for the many opportunities the county has afforded me over the years. ... However, the current Board of Supervisors is very different than the board that promoted me to the CAO position five years ago."

The announcement hits as the county enters into what's expected to be contentious budget hearings. The Board of Supervisors has been engulfed in turmoil since the November election, with Supervisors John Peschong, Debbie Arnold and Lynn Compton frequently clashing with Supervisors Bruce Gibson and Adam Hill, battling over budget priorities, groundwater policies, and Brown Act procedures.

Buckshi's departure also comes weeks after the departure of Planning and Building Department Director Jim Bergman, who is now Arroyo Grande's city manager.

Buckshi began his government career for SLO County as an administrative analyst from 2002 to 2006. He climbed the ranks to budget director, then assistant administrative officer, and became top county administrative officer in 2012.

He's expected to begin work in Walnut Creek on Aug. 7, according to a Walnut Creek press release.

It's not yet clear how much longer Buckshi will stay on as SLO County's CAO or when the search for his replacement will begin.