State Sen. John Benoit was tapped Wednesday to fill the Riverside County supervisor seat representing most of the Coachella Valley.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the appointment, saying the Bermuda Dunes Republican has “a proven history of dedicated public service and is absolutely the best person to fill this important position.”

The county's fourth district seat, generally considered to be the desert's most influential elected position, was left vacant with the passing of longtime Supervisor Roy Wilson. Before Wilson's Aug. 26 death, he had requested Benoit be appointed as his successor.

Benoit also was backed by the county supervisors and many of the desert's leaders.

“It's very humbling to have the governor follow through with (Wilson's) wishes and the wishes of the board and many, many community leaders,” Benoit told The Desert Sun.

“I'm very, very honored and excited about the possibility of being involved at a level where we can have a local impact.”

A law enforcement veteran, Benoit was first elected to the Assembly in 2002. Last year, he won a contentious Republican primary and secured the state 37th Senate seat.

A special election will be held to fill the Senate seat, a race that could draw a wide field of contenders.

Benoit takes the supervisor seat at a key time for Riverside County, which has been forced to make tough decisions in dealing with declining sales and property tax revenues. Later this month, they'll weigh ways to staff the jail expansion in Banning and deal with an operating deficit that's grown to more than $70 million.

Supervisors Marion Ashley and John Tavaglione both said they think Benoit will bring valuable insight to the discussion, especially considering his public safety background and knowledge of Sacramento.

“I think John will fit in very well with our board,” Tavaglione said. “He is very similar to Roy, well-spoken and a well-thought-out individual who puts a tremendous amount of thought into his decision and has shown great leadership over the years.”

Quick transition

Officials have yet to finalize when Benoit will formally resign his Senate seat and start his new role with the county. He will earn $143,031 in his new post.

The transition is likely to happen quickly: The vacant supervisor post has caused problems for the board as financial decisions require a four-fifths vote.

Supervisor Bob Buster's recent medical leave and other absences have resulted in meetings with only three supervisors, forcing the board to postpone many votes.

The board is scheduled to tackle many of the significant budget decisions on Nov. 24.

“We've had a little bit of a logjam,” said Ashley, who represents Desert Hot Springs and north Palm Springs and has been filling in for the fourth district seat.

“We're delighted, relieved and grateful” with Wednesday's news, Ashley added.

The governor has 14 days to call a special election for the Senate seat, which will determine when the vote will be held.

Benoit's seat will remain vacant until the election.

Two of the Republicans mentioned as possible 37th Senate candidates — Assemblyman Brian Nestande and former Assemblyman Russ Bogh — on Wednesday told The Desert Sun they are waiting to see what happens before deciding whether to run.

Taxpayers could be looking at two special elections: a special vacancy primary and, if nobody gets the majority of the vote, a special vacancy general election. Riverside County Registrar Barbara Dunmore said the primary would cost taxpayers between $1.1 and $1.3 million.

Wilson wife pleased

Aurora Wilson, the widow of the late supervisor, said the entire family is “excited” by the governor's decision.

“He was Roy's choice,” Aurora Wilson said. “He just felt John was the best person, with all of his background, to take over. I'm glad the governor agrees.

“Now we can get the business of the fourth district moving and hopefully have Roy's priority projects addressed as he would want them to be.”

Benoit said he had “some angst in leaving the Senate early,” but he is looking forward to working on the county's challenges, including public safety issues and managing growth.

“That's going to be a very big challenge given the budget constraints on all levels of government,” Benoit said.

“I think there's going to be a lot of value of having someone on the board who is as intimately aware of the dealings in Sacramento as I am. Not to say that is going to make the problems go away, but it will certainly help us deal with it.”