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SLO County supervisor checking into mental health facility

July 7, 2020

Supervisor Adam Hill

By KAREN VELIE

For the third time in less than three years, San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill announced he is taking time off work to deal with mental health issues.

Hill announced in a press release on Monday that he plans to check into a residential mental health facility. Hill did not disclose when he plans to return to work, but said he hopes to “return soon.”

“Persistent, and at times, painfully debilitating depression, has necessitated my seeking more intensive and focused treatment at a residential health program,” Hill wrote. “While I have been working closely with county staff on the many challenging issues our community faces, I have not been able to recover and heal as sufficiently as needed, and chose to seek specialized care at this time.”

Hill’s statement follows public condemnation over his failure to perform his supervisor duties while collecting his full salary. Since March 1, Hill has not participated in 26 of the 33 board and committee meetings he was scheduled to attend.

“If he cared at all about this community he would step down,” Ginger Schenk wrote on Facebook. “This is such a critical time that we need our BOS representatives more than ever. How in the world are we allowing this? Enough is enough!”

In his latest press release, Hill writes about the need for compassion and understanding.

“Many people are suffering right now, and the way forward for all of us, ultimately, is to overcome polarizing and alienating tendencies that fuel suspicion, antagonism, and violence,” Hill wrote. “Our common humanity is injured badly by this, but renewed every time we show compassion and a willingness to understand and respect others.”

In a Feb. 9, 2018 letter to the Tribune, Hill first publicly disclosed his struggles with mental health issues, which he gave as a reason for his aggressive behaviors. In the letter, Hill also announced he would be taking some time off from his supervisor duties.

“I’ve struggled with depression nearly my entire life, a situation that for me, manifests itself in heightened states of anger and anguish,” Hill wrote in the letter to the Tribune.

Hill’s 2018 disclosure followed public outrage over an outburst at a constituent. Less than a month after losing the board chairmanship because of allegations of bullying and a lack of decorum, Hill sent a string of Facebook messages chastising a Pismo Beach man over a commentary in the Tribune before telling the man to “fuck off.”

Earlier this year, Hill took time off work following a suicide attempt and a FBI raid on his office and home. Hill attributed his suicide attempt to the stresses of running for office, in a statement released to the media on March 30,

“In the weeks leading up to Election Day, I fell into a bad episode of depression, culminating in an attempt to end my life,” Hill wrote. “I’ll have more to say later, but right now my main focus is on restoring my health so I can return to the job I love.”


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The Board of Supervisors needs to step in and somehow remove a Supervisor who won’t or can’t do his job but Hill does not deserve a golden parachute to

make his long overdue departure. The Third District needs and deserves to be represented and Hill’s own admissions show he’s incapable of doing the job he is getting paid to do.


12

Anyone else catch KSBY 6:00 news last night?


They aluded to Hill without mentioning his name and then segued into a general story regarding local mental health professionals during COVID-19. I guess this is better than interviewing him with softball questions, although I wonder why allude to it at all if they’re not going to report on Hill.


10

He is just building his case to plead “not guilty by reason of insanity”.


27

Hold on, all you doubters and naysayers! Give Hill the credit he finally deserves. He is now admitting what most people already knew – he is mentally unfit for the job.

Now we will see if the rest of the BOS has the cajones to take the necessary action.


42

Everybody knew it but the people in his district.


27

While many may not have known, others did.

It was the Vote Blue No Matter Who mentality that got him elected.


13

Is this ‘mental health facility’ in a country that doesn’t have an extradition treaty with the US?


17

If the FBI came to my door with warrants I might be a little depressed too. It appears his “depression” has compromised some of his arrogance. Maybe not a bad thing.


66

People tend to get really depressed when they know they have done wrong, when they know they have lied and cheated, when they know they are leading an immoral life. Adam is depressed because he knows what a horrible person he really is. Anyone would be depressed if they lived his life.


66

More of “poor me” from Mr. Hill. At least this time he didn’t mention his bowel issues.


71

Two things stand out. First, Hill says, “While I have been working closely with county staff on the many challenging issues our community faces.” But while looking to make a health emergency order, county staff could not find Adam Hill. He does not return calls to staff or residents, and appears to have no interest in the issues facing the county.


Second, Hill wrote that “polarizing and alienating tendencies” hurt our humanity. This is a man who has sent threatening emails to the media, threatened to harm people who do not give him money, called those who do not agree with him racists, and with his online troll harassed many people. Hill appears unable to understand how his actions have harmed our community, and is only able to focus on how issues impact him.


If Hill truly cared about the community and the issues we currently face, he would step down. But it appears he wants to collect a salary while waiting for the criminal investigation to end.


71
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