Supervisors to consider sheriff appointment Oct. 20
PLACERVILLE, Calif. — The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors will consider appointing Undersheriff Eric Palmberg as the county’s next sheriff during its Oct. 20 meeting, setting the stage for a leadership transition at the Sheriff’s Office before the end of the year.
The appointment is listed as agenda item 26-1683. The Chief Administrative Office recommends that supervisors appoint Palmberg to serve as sheriff, coroner and public administrator when the position becomes vacant on Dec. 26, 2026, or earlier if necessary.
Under the proposal, Palmberg would serve the remainder of the current term, which ends Jan. 8, 2029. The recommended monthly salary is $25,701.87, with the cost covered by the county’s General Fund.
The appointment remains subject to action by the Board of Supervisors. The agenda item does not, by itself, establish that Palmberg has been appointed.
Leikauf announces retirement after 36 years
In an Oct. 12 letter to the Board of Supervisors, Sheriff Jeff Leikauf announced that he intends to retire at the end of 2026. He identified Dec. 25 as his final day in office.
Leikauf said the decision followed 36 years with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office and would fulfill the four-year commitment he made when he ran for sheriff in 2022.
“Serving as Sheriff of El Dorado County has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Leikauf wrote.
He credited the department’s employees and volunteers for its work, citing sworn personnel, correctional officers, administrative staff, morgue personnel and volunteers serving through programs including Explorers, STARS and Search and Rescue.
Leikauf also asked the board to address his retirement at its Oct. 20 meeting and urged supervisors to move promptly on selecting his successor.
Sheriff recommends his undersheriff
Leikauf recommended Palmberg, who has served as undersheriff since November 2025, describing him as prepared to assume leadership of the department.
According to Leikauf’s letter, Palmberg moved to El Dorado County in 2006 and lives in Rescue with his wife, Vicki. His three children attended Rescue Union School District schools and graduated from Ponderosa High School.
Palmberg’s 19 years with the Sheriff’s Office include assignments in patrol, field training, narcotics, supervision, the Coroner Unit and public information. As a sergeant assigned to the Coroner Unit, he helped plan, purchase, staff and open the department’s morgue and indoor shooting range.
His later assignments included serving as SWAT commander, jail administrative lieutenant and support services lieutenant. He also represented the Sheriff’s Office as public information officer, including during the Caldor Fire.
Leikauf noted that Palmberg graduated from the FBI National Academy in 2025 and received department recognition that included Deputy of the Year, Sworn Supervisor of the Year and Manager of the Year.
“More importantly, I trust him,” Leikauf wrote, citing Palmberg’s judgment, values and commitment to county residents.
Continuity of leadership is central to the recommendation
Leikauf’s letter makes continuity a central argument for appointing Palmberg rather than leaving the position vacant or pursuing a different transition.
The sheriff said Palmberg has already been overseeing the department’s day-to-day operations and has experience across all three divisions of the Sheriff’s Office. Leikauf also cited Palmberg’s working relationships with county partners and the Board of Supervisors.
The sheriff wrote that the county has followed a recent practice of appointing an elected official’s second-in-command when that official resigns or retires. He argued that the same approach would provide stability for department employees and the public.
The appointment would place responsibility for three county functions — sheriff, coroner and public administrator — under Palmberg for the balance of the current term. Those responsibilities make the decision significant for communities throughout El Dorado County, from the western slope to the Lake Tahoe basin.
What happens next?
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider the recommendation on Tuesday, Oct. 20. The county’s published meeting calendar lists that date as a regular board meeting. Residents can review the agenda and supporting documents through the county’s official meeting system.
The board’s decision will determine whether Palmberg is appointed to succeed Leikauf under the proposed timeline. Until supervisors take action, the appointment remains a recommendation, not a completed change in office.
Sources
- El Dorado County Board of Supervisors agenda — Item 26-1683
- Sheriff Jeff Leikauf’s Oct. 12, 2026, retirement letter, included in the supplied agenda materials.
- El Dorado County Board of Supervisors
- 2026 Board of Supervisors meeting calendar
