The three high-level departures coincided with the selection of a new lead county counsel serving the Board of Supervisors and county staff. Cortez, Rae and Skinner previously served as the top deputies to now-former county counsel Claudia Silva and more recently to acting County Counsel David Smith. County spokesperson Tammy Glenn declined to elaborate on the “personal physical injuries” described in the agreements with the three former top county lawyers. Unlike most employment-related settlements, he said physical injury payouts often aren’t taxable and employees typically must pursue workers’ compensation for job-related physical injuries. She also noted that Silva, then the county counsel, had stopped having her staff attend Board of Supervisors meetings.