San Diego names old registrar as new registrar

San Diego County has decided to appoint Mikel Haas to be the registrar of voters, taking over for Sally McPherson, who is retiring. The February 26 edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune featured an article about the county's staff changes.



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Former Registrar of Voters Mikel Haas is getting his old job back.



Haas, who worked 51⁄2 years as registrar before taking over the county's Department of Animal Services in July 2001, has been tapped to replace Sally McPherson, who is retiring March 17.



Haas, 47, starts March 22. His annual salary will remain $133,037.



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A former newspaper reporter, Haas joined the county as assistant registrar in 1994. He became acting registrar that December, and soon after he was registrar. He served five months as acting director of the Community and Housing Development Department before becoming animal services director in 2001.



Haas left the registrar's office before the start of a series of problems, including the failure of touch-screen voting in the primary last March.



At animal services, Haas inherited a department facing criticism over the treatment of its animals, the condition of its buildings and the leadership of former director Dena Mangiamele.



Haas said the animal services department "is in great hands now."



"A piece of my heart is going to stay with this department and the people who stay here, but it's onward," he said. "For me, it's back to the future."