Following rumors that he would, Assessor Postmus has taken a medical leave of absence from his post as assessor for San Bernardino County. Harlow Cameron will serve as acting assessor for the next ten weeks.

UPDATE: The Sun has updated their story. The complete article follows. Also of note is that the original title for this article read, "Postmus takes medical leave; sources say he's headed to drug rehab." It was changed shortly after publication.

Postmus takes medical leave; sources say he's battled drug addiction

By Lauren McSherry, staff writer
Article Launched: 07/23/2008 09:13:15 PM PDT

Nearly one month after his office was enmeshed in scandal, County Assessor Bill Postmus announced today he is taking a 10-week medical leave from his job.

Starting Thursday, acting Assistant Assessor Harlow Cameron, a 35-year veteran of the office, will handle all responsibilities associated with the elected position, according to a statement from Postmus.

"Harlow Cameron is an invaluable and longtime member of this department," Postmus said in the statement. "Under Harlow Cameron's stewardship, I know the office will be in outstanding hands while I am away from the office."

Postmus did not specify what sort of medical condition he suffered from. But multiple sources said he has a drug addiction that likely stems from a prior back injury.

Sources said Postmus has twice gone to rehabilitation centers including during a major fire in 2006 in his district when he was chairman of the Board of Supervisors.

In a 2007 interview, Postmus said he was in Wisconsin attending to a family matter.

A source close to Postmus praised him for tackling his problems. "It was a credit to him - it showed a lot of strength," a source said. "A lot of politicians have bounced back successfully from things like this."

Cameron, who has the longest tenure of any employee in the San Bernardino County Assessor's Office, said he's prepared to take over.

"It's the right thing for me to take this responsibility and help out the assessor and the county through this time," Cameron said by phone.

He described the more than 200 department employees as dedicated and hard-working.

"They know their jobs, and they take pride in doing them well," he said. "I consider it a privilege to serve them in any way I can at this time."

A grand jury inquiry, which spun off an investigation by the district attorney and led to the arrest of Postmus' top assistant, chronicled a number of abuses of power in the Assessor's Office.

The grand jury report faulted the assessor for using $1.2 million to hire an executive staff with little experience in property tax appraisals.

The report also revealed that staffers had been engaging in partisan politics on county time.

It is unclear what is ailing Postmus. Postmus' doctor recommended the leave of absence, but the reasons for the leave of absence will remain confidential, according to the statement.

On Friday, he turned in his county-issued gray 2007 GMC Yukon SUV, said David Wert, county spokesman.

County officials can either have the county purchase a car of their choice or receive a car allowance of nearly $1,000 each month, according to county code. As of today, Postmus had yet to apply for the car allowance, Wert said.

Postmus, who earns about $141,000 a year, will likely continue to receive his salary while on leave.

Under the county charter, elected officials do not receive sick time, vacation time or holidays, Wert said. They also do not need to log the hours they have worked.

"They are assumed to be working 24/7," Wert said.

The former chairman of the county Republican Central Committee and the former chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Postmus was once a rising star in the local Republican Party.

But over the years, Postmus has come under increased scrutiny following allegations of wrongdoing while holding public office.

When the Board of Supervisors discussed July 14 what it would take to remove Postmus from office, Chairman Paul Biane questioned why, if evidence of illegal activity existed, the grand jury had not filed a complaint with the district attorney that would have led to a trial in Superior Court.

The supervisors have called for Postmus to come before them and answer questions Aug. 19, but he may not show.

"The physician recommended 10 weeks, so that would seem to preclude that date at this point," said Ted Lehrer, Postmus' spokesman.

It's possible Cameron could appear before the board in Postmus' stead, Lehrer said.

Metro Editor George Watson contributed to this report.