Apple Valley Town Council Member Rick Roelle said he is running for First District supervisor as a reform candidate.“
I believe the supervisor’s office today is in disarray with corruption,” he said. “If you look at the number of scandals and what has happened, it is an obvious problem. I think I can bring ethics and integrity to the board. Now that there is an open seat, I think I can run and win. I believe I am well qualified for the job.”
A thirty-year veteran of the sheriff’s department who has risen to the rank of lieutenant, Roelle said that the major issue in the race locally “For me is the rising alarming crime rate in the First District, which has a detrimental effect on job creation in the area. I believe it has hampered businesses from locating here. Crime makes this a less desirable place to do business.
Law enforcement and economic development go hand in
hand.
In the last year we have seen a 30 percent increase in crime in the unincorporated areas. The majority of the land in the High Desert is unincorporated county area. Over that same period, the board of supervisors have cut the law enforcement budget, eliminating 200 sworn positions. That has forced the sheriff to make cuts to the department, mostly in the unincorporated areas. That has resulted in the 30 percent increase in crime, which makes the whole High Desert a less desirable location for people to locate and operate a business.”
The solution, Roelle said, is to eliminate the self-interested wheeling and dealing on the board of supervisors.
“Look at the $100 million payout to the Colonies, the FBI investigations, other federal investigations going on,” Roelle said, referencing the board of supervisors’ 2006 decision to settle a lawsuit brought against the county by the Colonies Partners over flood control issues at the Colonies at San Antonio project in northeastern Upland by conferring a $102 million payment to the development company. Prosecutors allege that decision was tainted by extortion and bribery of two of the former members of the board of supervisors and the former chief of staff to a third supervisor. Those bribes allegedly consisted of $100,000 contributions to political action committees controlled by the elected officials involved or their associates.
Two of the former supervisors – Bill Postmus and Paul Biane – were indicted and Postmus has entered guilty pleas to 14 counts of bribery, conspiracy and perjury. Charges remain pending against the other alleged participants in the graft, all of whom have pleaded not guilty. Investigations by the FBI, IRS, Securities and Exchange Commission and other agencies into that matter and others involving the county and other local governments are ongoing.
“The solution is changing the priorities of the board of supervisors,” Roelle said. “The board of supervisors needs to put an emphasis on quality of life issues rather than staying in office. The first government priority has to be the safety of its citizens from domestic or foreign threats. Local government needs to concentrate on ensuring the safety of its citizens and letting the free enterprise system work. Everything will fall into place if we do that.”
Another issue facing the First District, Roelle said, is the “falling home prices. Up to 50 percent of the value of homes has decreased. I think of the High Desert as a blue collar community. We need more emphasis on education to have high technology job opportunities come in here. We need to have an educated and skilled work force. Thirty percent of the people who live in the High Desert have not attended a college class.”
At the larger county level, the major challenge, Roelle said, “is obviously the budget crisis. A part of the budget problem is the lack of growth of the economy. But the other is the ethics of the board of supervisors. When you have the types of payouts and legal fees we are paying, we have to clean up the ethics of the board of supervisors. Their low standards have affected the county as a whole. It has cost money.”Roelle said he stands out from the crowd of other candidates for First District supervisor because of his track record as a sheriff’s officer and elected public official.
“I think my experience in local government distinguishes me,” he said. “At the local level, as a member of the town council, I was elected twice by the largest majority in the history of the High Desert. I received nearly 12,000 votes each time. I am a man of my word and I look out for the benefit of the people and do not bow down to special interests. Outside interests have come in and that is the basis of the scandals we have in this county now.
I have been on the town council for two terms, which is almost eight years now and served one year as mayor on each term. I have a background in law enforcement. I understand how government works and why it does not work. I am now and have been a member of SANBAG [San Bernardino Associated Governments, which serves as the county’s transportation agency, which has all five of the county’s supervisors and one council member of each of the county’s 24 cities as board members] for nearly eight years. I understand transportation, the need for transportation and how it is funded. That makes me qualified to step into this job and hit the ground with both feet running.”
Roelle, 52, grew up in Covina, attending his first two years of high school there. He graduated from Apple Valley High. He has completed 70 units at East Los Angeles College, Victor Valley College and San Bernardino Valley College. Divorced, he has two grown children.
Defazio-Blewett-Postmus Connection
The latest development in the Russ Blewett to the Postmus political group is that Blewett's partner in the Adelanto Charter School scam will have to face trial in the Colonies corruption scandal.
Judge won't drop corruption charges against AV developer
May 04, 2012 5:29 PM
From Staff Reports
SAN BERNARDINO • A judge denied a motion Friday to drop corruption charges against John Dino DeFazio, an Apple Valley developer accused of lying to the grand jury about his ties to former county Assessor Bill Postmus.
DeFazio’s attorney tried to get the judge to dismiss the six felony counts of perjury filed against DeFazio, 52, the Press Enterprise reports.
In February, a different judge, Glenn Yabuno, ruled that DeFazio must stand trial. Judge David Mazurek said he agreed there was enough evidence to hold DeFazio for trial.
DeFazio allegedly lied in 2009 about the administration of a political action committee that prosecutors believe was secretly controlled by Postmus, who has pleaded guilty to bribery and other charges, and used to funnel bribes to a developer in a broader corruption scheme.
DeFazio is set to return to court June 22.
Its time to bring it back up again. From 2008 a story about the 1.59% County rip off of Hesperia tax dollars.
Paul Bosacki wants his money back
City council candidate seeks more tax revenue for city
When Paul Bosacki first appeared on the political scene, he had one primary issue: the state of Hesperia's roads.
"That wasn't a big limb to go out on," he laughed, "That the roads in Hesperia need work."
And he should know: Bosacki, 54, is a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service, and his week is spent filling in for other letter carriers on their days off, meaning he drives all over Hesperia, and sees the good, the bad and the ugly of residential streets.
In response, he started a Web site in July 2005, PaveRoadsFirst.com, where he compiled public documents relating to Hesperia's budget and road work, and called the city council to task on what he said was a tepid effort to pave and improve the city's streets.
"When I started the site, it was $3 million a year" spent on paving. "Almost flat lined."
Since then, the city council has raised spending on roads, up to $6 million in the 2006-2007 budget, $20 million in the 2007-2008 budget and $10 million in the 2008-2009 budget.
"The city's definitely making an effort," Bosacki said. "It actually raises the quality of life and the price of real estate, which is not a bad thing."
There's also been a change in Bosacki's politics: He's gone from an outsider lobbing metaphorical rocks at city hall to having a role there, as a Hesperia city planning commissioner.
"There's a lot of stuff in the city of Hesperia that wasn't planned, wasn't done with any vision toward the future."
And to prevent that happening in the future, Bosacki is making another run for the Hesperia City Council. In 2006, he came in fifth in a race for three open seats, receiving 4,194 votes -- just 171 votes of third-place candidate Ed Pack. And he did it despite spending only $400, a far cry from Pack's record-breaking $151,616 campaign.
Money is in the forefront of Bosacki's mind, and his campaign platform, this time around, specifically the 1.5 cents of every dollar in property tax paid by Hesperia residents that goes into city coffers, a little more than a tenth of what the County of San Bernardino drops into its piggy bank. He wants the city to get more from the county, even if that means a lawsuit.
"There's a lot of politics involved in why people on the city council would not raise this with the county," Bosacki said. "I am not burdened by political connections. ... We've got to provide services for 100,000 people. How are we going to be doing that for a penny on the dollar?"
Closer to home, Bosacki would like to see the city reorganize financially as well, specifically reconsidering the very existence of the Hesperia Fire Protection District, which gets property tax at a better rate than the city's general fund does, and spends almost all of it on outsourced fire service, through the San Bernardino County Fire Department. The city of Hesperia has not operated its own fire department since 2004. By dissolving the fire district, Bosacki said, the city could just create a "public safety" line item and use the funds to pay for both police (outsourced to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department) and fire service.
He also takes issue with the city's plans for Ranchero Road, which including widening the road between the planned railroad under crossing and freeway interchange. The problem, though, is that much of the road between those two locations is actually in unincorporated county land.
"In order for us to get the penny on the dollar in sales tax" from businesses along the future wider arterial road connecting residential neighborhoods to the freeway, "it has to be in city limits."
In addition to annexing the property along Ranchero Road, Bosacki would like to see the city emulating the development model of Apple Valley, which has been experiencing a retail and commercial boom over the last two years.
"Economic development in Apple Valley is a $0 budget. They want business to come there and they pave the roads for them," Bosacki said. "The reality is the people in Hesperia shop in Victorville and Apple Valley and that's where our sales tax stays."
Bosacki's second run for office will likely be more expensive than his $400 campaign in 2006, but will still be a far cry from some of the well-funded campaigns of some of the other six candidates running for the two seats up for grabs.
"Mine's going to be grassroots. Maybe some signs and billboards. Definitely not a mailer," the letter carrier laughed. "I would get killed at work if I did a mailer."
And once again, he said competitors with big war chests do not worry him.
"I have a great deal of respect and confidence in the voters of Hesperia to know who's running for the right reasons versus someone who's trying to buy an election."
The problem is the same since 1988, when Hesperia first became a city. The traditional purpose of local property tax is to pay for services where the tax is collected. Public services(-police-roads) and the responsibility for paying for them were transferred to the City from the County in 1988, but the property tax dollars collected from Hesperia residents have remained with the County. Spent on County programs not within the City of Hesperia city limits. Out of every $100.00 dollars collected from Hesperia tax payers the County keeps $14.20 to spend on San Bernardino County services-(welfare-mental health-etc) while returning $1.59 to the City of Hesperia to pay for Police and other required by law public services. The problem for the tax payers in Hesperia is that we use Hesperia provided services in Hesperia, not County provided services.
From 2001 and the Desert Dispatch we have the sad story of Hesperia's failed attempt at legislation, killed by the County and elected Hesperia councilmembers, back then....
$2 million worth of annual roadwork on Hesperia’s roads faces a hurdle this week.
State legislators will take another look this week at a bill designed to give Hesperia a larger share of property taxes collected by the county.
The bill, AB 1378 has been stuck in a holding pattern for three weeks ago, since the Assembly Appropriations Committee stuck it in what is known as a “suspense file.”
Bills in the suspense file come up for review this week in the state Legislature.
If the committee OKs the bill, its next stop is the Assembly floor. However, if the committee chooses to leave AB 1378 in the suspense file, the bill will likely die.
Committee members also have the option of leaving it in the suspense file until the legislative session next year, Assemblyman Phil Wyman’s Chief of Staff Doug Haaland said.
Wyman, R-Tehachapi, introduced AB 1378 in February.
Hesperia stands to gain an extra $2 million a year if the bill goes through — roughly 20 percent of the city’s operating budget. The bill earmarks the money for road repairs.
Under the bill, the state would front the extra property tax money to Hesperia, then the county would pay back the state.
Local politicos have traveled to the Capitol a few times this year to lobby for passage of the bill. But it’s been a tough fight.
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 last month to oppose AB 1378. And a few of the board members — including board Chairman Fred Aguiar — have lobbied Sacramento officials against it.
Hesperia receives 1.7 cents of every dollar collected from property taxes — the lowest amount in the county.
This is Hesperia’s second attempt in the past three sessions of the state Legislature to pass such a bill. The first try, Assembly Bill 1057, failed on the Senate floor in 1999.
VV Daily Press Friday, June 1, 2001
Wyman pulls Hesperia legislation
LEGISLATURE : Assemblyman says county supervisor assures him of meeting to work out deal.
By JENNIFER PELTZ/Staff Writer
HESPERIA — Assemblyman Phil Wyman withdrew his bill to give Hesperia a bigger share of property taxes after Fourth District Supervisor Fred Aguiar assured him city and county officials would meet and work on an agreement.
"I killed the bill because we'd rather do it together at the local level," Wyman, R-Tehachapi, said. "That bill served its purpose and it's now dead."
But Aguiar stressed he didn't commit to a particular course of action.
"I have made no agreement with Mr. Wyman," Aguiar said. "I have made no commitment on behalf of the county.
"The county opposed the bill. The county remains opposed to the bill," he said.
Aguiar, who represents the Ontario area, is chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.
Wyman's Assembly Bill 1378 was designed to give Hesperia a larger share of property taxes collected by the county.
The assemblyman now considers the bill unnecessary since the parties are getting together to discuss the issue, Wyman's Chief of Staff Doug Haaland said.
He said the agreement calls for Hesperia officials and county representatives to sit down and address the city's needs.
Hesperia Mayor Jim Lindley said it's too early to know what will come out of the meeting.
But Lindley said negotiations at the local level might get money to the city quicker than if the bill were to continue its way through the Legislature.
If the city does get more money, it will be earmarked for road repairs.
"What we're hoping it means is that we would have an ongoing revenue source to continue to fix the roads in the city," Lindley said. "We've spent every extra dime in the city to fix roads."
Hesperia officials want to have a good relationship with the county, he said.
"Why force the issue when we'll have to work with the county on a variety of issues for the foreseeable future?" Lindley said.
If county and city officials can't agree, Wyman can reintroduce the bill in January, Haaland said.
Wyman doesn't think that will be necessary.
"My political instincts tell me they're going to come to a resolution that takes care of the taxpayers and citizens of Hesperia," Wyman said.
Hesperia stood to gain an extra $2 million a year if Assembly Bill 1378 went through — roughly 20 percent of the city's operating budget. Wyman introduced the bill in February.
"The bottom line is the city of Hesperia has not received its fair share of road money from the county and I'm going to work on trying to bring more dollars to the city," First District Supervisor Bill Postmus said.
"I'm going to begin working on a plan with the city of Hesperia in terms of bringing road money to Hesperia and working on Board of Supervisors' support for that plan," he said.
Hesperia receives 1.7 cents of every dollar collected from property taxes — the lowest amount in the county.
This was Hesperia's second attempt in the past three sessions of the state Legislature to pass such a bill. The first try, Assembly Bill 1057, failed on the Senate floor in 1999.
For those who want to find out how the deal came out for Hesperia, read on. It didn't, Jim Lindley got a county job out of it and Hesperia came out on the short end . Again.
VV Daily Press Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Lindley takes on county duties
Becomes director of legislative affairs; will retain Hesperia City Council responsibilities
By MIGUEL GONZALEZ
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO — Hesperia Mayor Jim Lindley will be introduced today as the county's director of legislative affairs, a spokesperson for the chairman of the Board of Supervisors said.
Lindley will be responsible for identifying federal and state legislation programs that could affect the county. He will make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and coordinate the advocacy effort with the county's contract lobbyist in Sacramento and Washington D.C.
"His work with the city of Hesperia had always impressed the supervisor. In the past, he has done a great job advocating legislation for the city," Brad Mitzelfelt, First District Supervisor Bill Postmus' chief of staff, said.
Lindley was selected for the position from a field of 40 candidates. The new full-time job will pay him a total annual compensation package of $149,000, including benefits.
Despite having his first day of work Monday, Lindley's position will have to be approved today by the Board of Supervisors — a mere formality, Mitzelfelt said.
"I feel great about it. I have been looking for a position in county government for a number of years," Lindley said Monday.
Lindley said his new position will be his primary responsibility, without compromising his responsibilities to Hesperia.
Mitzelfelt said Lindley's position as mayor does not constitute a conflict of interest for his new job.
"Globally speaking, I get criticism no matter what I do," Lindley said.
Mitzelfelt said that upon accepting the job Lindley has agreed to stop advocating legislation on behalf of the city of Hesperia.
"We have five City Council members that can do that. My schedule has always been full. This new job will not prevent me from serving my responsibilities as mayor," Lindley said.
The story below was printed in 2008 when Brad Mitzelfelt was running for County Supervisor. The unfinished business 4 years later is Hesperia is still only getting 1.59% of our property tax dollars returned to provide services and the County is still taking 14.2% and spending it outside of Hesperia. With the redevelopement agency gone after February of 2012, Hesperia needs its local tax dollars to be spent on Hesperia services more than ever.
Mitzelfelt: 'I've focused significantly on Hesperia issues'
Brad Mitzelfelt is running for the 1st District Supervisor seat again, for the first time.
Formerly Bill Postmus' chief of staff, Mitzelfelt was appointed to replace him. This June, it's up to the voters.
Although he lives in Wrightwood, Mitzelfelt has an office in Hesperia.
"In the past year and a past, I've focused significantly on Hesperia issues," he said. "I've secured more than $23 million for Hesperia improvements. That's in addition to more than $2.8 million for road improvements in the immediate area," including $1.4 million to be spent improving Summit Valley Road.
The lion's share of the $23 million spent on Hesperia is the High Desert Government Center, which will be built near the city library and city hall.
"It'll be virtually every service that the county provides will be accessible from this government center or somewhere else in the Victor Valley. There will be very few situations where someone will have to drive to San Bernardino if they're a High Desert resident." The 55,000 square foot building "also brings people into the downtown area, and those people will spend money in the area, and that's good for sales tax revenue. It'll also bring more county jobs to the High Desert."
The board of supervisors also approved a $3.5 million fire station in western Hesperia, which will be shared with county firefighters that handle unincorporated areas around the city.
Prior to being appointed supervisor, when he was Postmus' chief of staff, Mitzelfelt helped draft provisions that returned more of Hesperia's property tax dollars given to the county back to the city.
"Hesperia at the time only received 1.59 percent of each property tax dollar that went to the county. That's one of the lowest in the county," Mitzelfelt said. "That increased to 7 percent new annexations that are added to the city, and also added Summit Valley to that."
The new change applies to all the cities in the county, and Adelanto and Victorville have also benefited from the measure since its passage.
Hesperia is so far the only city to benefit from revenue enhancement zones, which were also proposed by Postmus but drafted by Mitzelfelt, and referenced in a recent campaign ad mailed to area homes.
"Areas of 20 acre or larger that have been undeveloped in the city ... that are not in the redevelopment area [that covers 80 percent of Hesperia]," Mitzelfelt said. "The city can apply to the county for revenue enhancement status on the area. ... The city applied for that this year for the Rancho Las Flores area and the county approved that."
The future housing development of Rancho Las Flores -- currently a popular site for illegal off-roading -- will eventually be the site of a 16,000 home development, each of which will provide property tax revenue at the 7 percent rate, rather than the 1.59 percent rate in most of the city.
"I would certainly like to see [the property tax return rate] go even higher," Mitzelfelt said. "You've got to get three votes to get things done, of course."
Next up for the city is a proposal for a joint project with the City of Hesperia to widen and improve Rock Springs Road and add a bridge.
"I'm looking forward to earning a four-year term and continuing to serve Hesperia and the whole High Desert."
Beau Yarbrough can be reached at 956-7108 or at beau@hesperiastar.com.
NOW IS THE TIME- Mr. Mitzelfelt to put the Hesperia tax problem in front of the Board of Supervisors and fix this 22 year old problem for good. Hesperia voters are watching and waiting, and expect equal and fair treatment with our tax dollars. Like our neighbors in Apple Valley who get 9% retuned to them. The ball is your court.
Reading like a high desert politicians who's who list the Bill Postmus backed Colonies funded high desert politicians are being called to testify in the first of many Colonies / County corruption trials. And these guys want our vote in November? Really?
DEFAZIO GOES TO COURT
Prosecutors say A.V. developer lied about PAC; defense rejects charge
BY NATASHA LINDSTROM Daily Press STAFF WRITER
SAN BERNARDINO • Prosecutors attempted to show Thursday that Apple Valley developer John Dino DeFazio lied about a political action committee that former county Assessor Bill Postmus secretly used to funnel bribes. At the preliminary hearing in San Bernardino court, DeFazio’s defense worked to demonstrate DeFazio — not Postmus — controlled the PAC in question, and attacked the credibility of the district attorney’s key witnesses.
DeFazio, 52, faces up to nine years in prison if convicted on six perjury counts for allegedly lying to the grand jury about the administration of the Inland Empire PAC. According to the prosecution, that PAC was used to funnel two $50,000 bribes from Rancho Cucamonga developer Colonies Partners LP to Postmus in exchange for Postmus voting to help Colonies win a $102 million settlement from San Bernardino County over a flood control dispute. In the larger investigation, Colonies developers are accused of offering $400,000 bribes to former county officials.
Deputy District Attorney John Goritz first called to the stand investigator Hollis Randles, who testified Postmus and Adam Aleman, former assistant assessor, initially created two PACs to funnel the Colonies bribe, the Conservatives for a Republican Majority and the Inland Empire. Mike Richman, who worked with Postmus on the county Republican Committee and as an Assessor’s office consultant, was hired as executive director of the Conservatives PAC.
Colonies made a $50,000 contribution in June 2007 — the only contribution the PAC ever had, Randles said. Another $50,000 contribution from Colonies was made to the Inland Empire PAC. Then under Aleman’s and Postmus’ direction, Randles said, Richman closed the Conservatives PAC for two key reasons: Keeping two PACs open was costing too much in administrative fees, and they were about to have to name Colonies along with the PAC in any fundraising activities since the Colonies donation made up more than 80 percent of the PAC’s funds. The PAC’s balance, about $43,000, was then transferred into the Inland Empire PAC.
Though DeFazio was listed as chairman of the Inland Empire PAC, Randles said his investigation found Postmus was secretly controlling its expenditures once the roughly $90,000 in Colonies contributions was in the account. Alongside DeFazio and Postmus at DeFazio’s Victorville office, Aleman created an email address in DeFazio’s name so Aleman could act as DeFazio and direct expenditures at the behest of Postmus, Randles testified.
Referring to strings of email exchanges as evidence, Goritz tried to show Postmus would direct committee funds to political candidates he favored. Among the candidates named in emails: 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, Victorville Mayor Ryan McEachron, Hesperia Mayor Russ Blewett , state Sen. Tony Strickland , Assemblyman Curt Hagman, 3rd District Supervisor Neil Derry, Hesperia Unified Trustee Eric Swanson and former Adelanto Mayor Jim Nehmens. Postmus directed some money toward helping Nehmens defend himself against grand theft charges for embezzling Little League funds, Randles testified.
Richard Ewaniszyk, DeFazio’s attorney, called to the stand Betty Presley, who was treasurer of both the Conservatives and Inland Empire PACs. Presley confirmed that candidates have the right to suggest other candidates they’d like a PAC to endorse, and that they frequently do. She said she wouldn’t authorize an Inland Empire PAC payment “without understanding that it was authorized by Dino” — though because she primarily communicates with clients via email she can’t be “100 percent” sure.
The prosecution also claimed that two High Desert businessmen listed on the Inland Empire PAC board , Mike Gallagher and Jeff Bentow, had nothing to do with its administration and were merely contributors.
Ewaniszyk called Hesperia Mayor Russ Blewett and Apple Valley real estate consultant Randy Coleman to testify about meetings they had with Bentow and Gallagher related to the PAC. Blewett recalled a meeting with DeFazio, Bentow and Gallagher at the Green Tree Inn in Victorville — a meeting place he described as a “politicians’ waterhole.”
The defense took aim at the reliability of two key witnesses for the prosecution, Aleman and Postmus. Ewaniszyk pointed out that both Postmus and Aleman had taken plea deals after being charged with perjury, and he had Randles acknowledge Postmus’ addiction to methamphetamine. DeFazio turned down a plea deal Feb. 7 that would have sentenced him to 180 days in jail. The hearing is set to resume Tuesday.
To download the petition to limit San Bernardino county supervisors pay and staffing please go to http://reformsbcounty.com/
Please sign and distribute the petition to get the initiative measure on the ballot.
Reasons for reform
Members of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors have proven they are incapable of policing their own members and their subordinate staff or controlling their insatiable appetites to have increasingly more taxpayer dollars deposited in their personal bank accounts. In 2006, the Board sponsored Measure P, promoting it as “term limits.” What Measure P really accomplished was to raise supervisors’ salary from $99,000 per year to over $152,000 per year over a two-year period.
Upon approval of Measure P, supervisors then voted to increase their benefits, including the option of a county-paid health insurance policy that exceeded $25,000 per year. Some parts of that increase were reduced in 2009 under duress. Supervisors continue to participate in multiple county-paid retirement plans and receive a substantial automobile and communication device allowance.
During the several-year period in which the supervisors facilitated substantial increases to their taxpayer-paid compensation packages, they reduced the number of weekly meetings convened to deliberate county business and listen to the concerns of its citizens in open forum. They limited the number of meetings to 27 out of 52 weeks per year. In other words, they are meeting approximately half of the year while receiving full-time compensation.
In November 2010, the Board of Supervisors created by ordinance and without voter approval the non-elected position of “County Executive Officer” whose powers and authority far exceed that of the former “County Administrative Officer” position. The Board included a “non-interference” clause, limiting their ability to act on behalf of their constituents. The contract for this non-elected “County Executive Officer” includes language requiring a 4/5th vote to terminate his employment and allows termination only under a very narrow set of circumstances usually reserved for elected officials guilty of malfeasance in office. Without the consent of the People, the Board in effect circumvented the will of the People by transferring some of their power to a non-elected official that is not accountable to the People and cannot be removed by the People.
The Board of Supervisors has significantly increased the size of their personal staffs and has rewarded them with substantial contracts, some of which approach $225,000 in salary and benefits. The total cost to taxpayers for the salary and benefits of these staff members now exceeds $6 million per year.
Members of the Board of Supervisors have used taxpayer funds to purchase for their own use top-of-the-line vehicles and lease lavish office space for district offices. Taxpayers are forced to foot the bill for multi-million dollar office remodels. Car insurance policies, vehicle maintenance, and fuel are paid for by taxpayers so that the supervisors and their families can drive county-owned vehicles out of the country and/or out of state while on vacation.
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors has violated the trust placed in its members by the voters to act on behalf of the residents in a fiscally responsible manner. Board members have proven they require a higher level of oversight and restrictions placed upon them by the residents of San Bernardino County.
Hesperia RDA projects that were funded by local tax dollars. No more after February 1st 2012. Sacramento will now take the local tax money to spend it elsewhere.
As of February 1st the State of California killed off the Hesperia RDA. The list above was the public projects that were funded with RDA tax increment.
On Wednesday, workmen erected the long-awaited turn signal at the intersection of Rock Springs Road and Main Street.
The intersection is used by an average of 10,000 commuters each weekday. In addition, according to a report prepared for the Hesperia City Council, it’s seen enough accidents to merit a signal on public safety grounds alone.
The intersection will also serve a planned residential project near Glendale Avenue, and officials expect Rock Springs Road will see additional traffic once the Ranchero Road Undercrossing is built and Apple Valley residents use the Rock Springs to get to the freeway.
The project is funded by a mix of Measure I arterial funds, development impact fees and grants from the San Bernardino Associated Governments, or SANBAG. The city of Hesperia’s 2011-12 budget report estimated construction would cost $873,400.
The turn signal is expected to be active by the week after Thanksgiving, according to city spokeswoman Kelly Malloy.
Hesperians delivered a crushing defeat to a proposed parcel tax on Election Day.
More than 80 percent of voters rejected Measure F, 5,243 votes to 1,260. The registrar of voters was still reviewing provisional ballots and ballots requiring review as of Thursday morning, but those results were unlikely to change the outcome of the election.
Measure F would have helped fund the Hesperia Fire District with a new $85 parcel tax. The fire district pays for Hesperia’s fire service from the San Bernardino County Fire Department and district is largely funded by 15 cents of every dollar landowners pay in property taxes. (The rest ends up in San Bernardino County coffers.) That revenue has plummeted recently, dropping by 24 percent in three years.
Last year, the city depleted the fire district’s reserves and covered the remaining gap with money from the city of Hesperia’s general funds, something officials say they cannot do on an ongoing basis, as other parts of budget feel a similar strain. Measure F would have generated about $2.55 million in revenue the first year from the approximately 30,000 parcels of land subject to the tax.
“I think the voters made a very strong statement, and I’m delighted,” Councilman Russ Blewett, who opposed Measure F with political ads and denunciations from the dais, said on Wednesday. “We need to send a message to government and bureaucrats that we have to live within our budgets, just like people like to do.”
For those who want to know where the fire district tax money has gone, please click on the County Fire Station 305 page.
Argument Against Measure F
Hesperian’s need to stop the unnecessary, unfair Measure F fire parcel tax. With unemployment at 18 %, foreclosed homes, families and businesses struggling, these are severe economic hard times. With the current economy we can’t afford another tax increase.
Measure F is an excessive and dishonest tax. Its language is misleading. Measure F’s stated purpose is to maintain current fire staffing levels. If approved, Measure F will collect $2.7 million tax dollars per year, while only $1.1 million per year is needed.
Why the deception?
While debating Measure F, the City Council made their intent clear. Only enough tax money to maintain current fire staffing was the stated goal. Unfortunately, Measure F overfunds fire staffing by $8.3 million dollars.
Hesperia has 35,211 taxable parcels, taxed at $85 for five years, equals $13.8 million dollars! The amount needed to maintain current fire staffing for five years is $5.5 million.
What about the overfunded $8.3 million dollars?
This amounts to an extra $138,333 each month for the fire unions to spend as they wish.
Section three of the fire tax allows for this deception. Why was the tax padded to fund these unknown and unexplained expenses?
SB County is staffing it’s fire stations with two firemen per engine.
It is safe and the best service for citizens. Safety is not an issue.
A NO vote on Measure F will help ensure that homeowners will not lose their homes.
A NO vote will not reduce fire services.
We ask that you join with many hardworking, overtaxed Hesperian’s and VOTE NO on Measure F.
Together, lets send a message that government must live on a fixed budget.
Russ Blewett- Hesperia Mayor Pro Tem
Paul Bosacki- Hesperia City Councilman
Al Vogler- Hesperia Resident
Based on the number of parcels subject to the $85.00 a year fire tax-( 32,511 in Hesperia,) it looks like Mike Leonard -Thurston Smith- Bill Holland and the fire unions want to collect more than double the amount needed to maintain current fire staffing in Hesperia. The Hesperia Star story below pegs the fire districts yearly deficit at $1.1 million while the proposed 5 year tax would bring in $2.7 million a year. $1,663,435.00 more per year than what is needed to maintain current staffing.
Although the proposed parcel tax to prop up the ailing Hesperia Fire District won’t be placed before the voters until November, a picture of what it will eventually look like emerged at this week’s meeting of the Hesperia City Council.
The Hesperia Fire District is almost entirely funded by property taxes. In a time of falling property values, that’s meant that the district is now running a $1.1 million annual deficit, according to Kim Summers, the assistant to City Manager Mike Podegracz.
To offset the deficit and keep fire service at its current level, the city council is expected to vote at its next meeting on placing a new parcel tax on the Nov. 8 ballot.
The tax would cost property owners an additional $85 per parcel. The tax would expire (or “sunset”) after five years.
Colonies Pac Money To Hesperia-County Of San Bernardino Republican Political Connections
Postmus, Mitzelfelt, Kirks, Reily, DeFazio, Blewett And Gallagher Involved With Colonies "Bribe" Pac Money
Follow the money from left to right and ask what the Hesperia connected players were doing.
We now know that the signed "Taxpayer Protection" pledges below by Thurston Smith and Bill Holland were just phony election promises. Used to get votes while running for office, but once in office-ignored and forgotten.This really questions their credibility, what else are they lying about? The pledge of allegiance to the flag? The oath of office? When you go back on a pledge to the taxpayers, when you break a promise to the voters, I have to assume your word is no good and you can't be trusted. And that I will question it in the future, because of your dishonest behavior and actions. Live and learn, and don't forget.For you folks who supported and voted for Holland and Smith, is this betrayal acceptable to you? For you High Desert-Tea party Republicans, what a sad pitiful joke you and your politics are.
,
An election promise is a promise made to the public by a politician who is trying to win an election. They have long been a central element of elections and remain so today. Election promises are also notable for often being broken once a politician is in office.
The “Read My Lips, No New Taxes” Pledge goes back to George Bush while running for office. Anthony Adams was one of six Republican legislators to approve the 2009 California State budget that includes tax increases despite having previously signed an anti-tax pledge. Now we have Smith and Holland as the latest politicians that signed an anti-tax pledge to get elected, and then voted to raise taxes the first chance that they could.
The story below tells us that the world is not ending when staffing is reduced to 2 man crews. The Hesperia Fire station west of the freeway is being reduced to 2 man crews but the myth of public safety and 3 man crews as a minimum staffing is still being sold to Hesperia city property owners to increase your tax on your property for the next 5 years.
Five High Desert fire stations to see staffing reductions
BY BEATRIZ E. VALENZUELA Daily Press 7-3-2011 STAFF WRITER
Five High Desert fire stations will switch from threeman to two-man crews as the San Bernardino County Fire Department shifts fulltime firefighters around and reduces hours for paid-call firefighters. “The area (property) taxes are not supporting the staffing levels,” Tracy Martinez, spokeswoman for the Fire Department, said. “We’re making these decisions based upon continuing the best service for citizens.” The city of Hesperia is putting a tax hike on the ballot to prevent its fire stations from going to two-man crews.But at least one Hesperia station — No. 305, on the west side of Interstate 15 — will be reducing the number of full-time firefighters because the station is staffed by the county independently of Hesperia’s city budget. The other stations affected by cuts include Baker, Harvard, Helendale and the Spring Valley Lake stations, according to Martinez. “We are not laying anyone off and no stations will be shut down,” she said. Instead, some full-time firefighters at the stations will be moved to other stations. At certain stations, including the Helendale station, all full-time firefighters except the captain will be pulled. Martinez said they will be replaced by limited term firefighters, which is a program that’s like an apprenticeship. On Thursday night, the county Board of Supervisors approved to augment the fire department’s budget by $419,000 to pay for nine full-time, limited-term firefighters, Martinez said. They will be working at Helendale, Lucerne Valley and Wrightwood stations. The department also received an extra $5 million from the board, which Martinez said was spread across the department. Those most affected by the staffing reductions will be paid-call firefighters. They are at-will employees who get called out if full-time firefighters require assistance. In the past they were used to help fill 24-hour shifts. But Martinez said the department will no longer be able to do that at any of the five affected stations.
Firefighters not cut, council puts property tax on ballot
Council votes 3-2 to close $1 million budget gap with new property assessment
Hesperia firefighters got a reprieve Tuesday night, when the Hesperia City Council chose to put a new property assessment on the ballot instead of cutting the nine firefighters they needed to in order to balance the budget.
Property taxes make up most of the revenue for the Hesperia Fire District, and with the drop in property values, the revenue has plummeted in recent years, leaving the fire district with a $1.09 million deficit and -- thanks to the council voting last year to use the district’s reserves to cover the deficit -- no money in the bank.
At last week’s budget workshop, city staff told the council they would need to cut nine firefighters to balance the budget, which works out to one firefighter per engine per shift.
“You either A) bring in more revenue or B) you cut expenses,” Councilman Bill Holland told the assembled crowd, which included firefighters from around the Victor Valley and their supporters.
The council chose Option A.
Mayor Mike Leonard made a motion that the city keep fire staffing intact and put a property assessment before the voters to pay for the higher staffing level.
“My phone has rang off the hook,” said Councilman Thurston “Smitty” Smith. “We have to find a way to fill that gap in the next six months.”
Ironically, a new tax that can only be spent on a specific purpose is actually harder to pass than one that could be spent on anything, requiring 66 percent of the vote, rather than a simple majority.
The council approved the motion by a 3-2 margin, with Councilmen Russ Blewett and Paul Bosacki dissenting.
“I’m sorry if it offends people but I cannot vote for this,” said Blewett. “I’d be surprised if the voters in this community were of a mind to put a tax on themselves, but we’ll find out.”
“Good luck,” Bosacki said. “That’s all I’ve got to tell you: Good luck.”
“A quarter a day to keep your fire district whole,” Councilman Thurston “Smitty” Smith told the audience.
The next regular meeting of the Hesperia City Council will take place on July 5 at 6:30 p.m. at Hesperia City Hall, 9700 Seventh Avenue.
I went over one of my existing property tax bills to remind myself of what is on there. And what I pay for now and don't use as a "service".
The general tax levy at the top is where I pay for the fire protection already. It comes out to around $113.48 a year. Along with the schools, the parks, the County, the Mojave Water Agency and on and on. I also get to pay for the parks again below, and the Mojave Water Agency bonds twice again. Measure JJ is also tacked on my tax bill for the college that I don't attend. For the most part, I dont use any of these "services" that I am taxed for.(Some times twice on the same bill)
In the 31 years of living in Hesperia, I have never called the fire department. But I have paid for it, through my property tax.Year after year. Now Smith -Leonard and Holland think I should pay more for fire protection, I disagree. I have paid enough. Property owners are not the only source of tax money, but they are in this case. Between the State and now the City taxing property owners, no one can afford to own property or land in Hesperia. Your parcel tax will not pass the voters, because it is wrong to single out property owners as the solution to your staffing problems at the Fire station. Some communities survive with volunteer fire staffing. Maybe Hesperia needs to look at them.
Its starting to become clear as to whats going on with the Fire Fighters Union and their 2 City Council members, Leonard and Smith. First of all the proposed property tax is just a trick to buy time, they don't expect it to pass. But it will buy them at least 6 more months at the current staffing levels. Last year the proposed sales tax measure was not exclusively for them, it could have been used for the lost Police jobs too. So they were against it.They want your tax money just for the County Fire Union members and no one or anything else. (Especially roads?) Public safety also includes the police, but not a mention of the 5 positions cut in this years budget. Not any mention of raiding the reserves to keep the police jobs. Just the County Fire union members-the same guys who donated to their campaigns.
Its bad enough for the last 3 years the general fund has been forced into subsidizing the Fire District with millions of your tax dollars. Here's the deal on their phony property tax proposal, instead of letting the voters spread the pain around with a sales tax of 1/2 cents on everbody who buys anything in Hesperia. Mike Leonard, Thurston Smith and Bill Holland have decided that the Hesperia property owners will be the only group of taxpayers paying for fire fighters and ambulance service in Hesperia. In addition to your regular property tax bill,property owners will be asked to pay an additional tax to make up the drop in revenues from your property being worth less now. Renters in Hesperia will still pay nothing towards fire services.People who don't live in Hesperia but need a fire truck or ambulance will still pay nothing for these services. But property owners will get to pay 2 tax bills to provide fire services under the Smith-Leonard-Holland- tax plan. Oh yea and this additional tax on property owners will only go towards the fire district, still nothing for police or paving roads. This is called kick the can down the road while sticking it to property owners. It will cost the City over $100,000.00 to put this on the ballot, while requiring a 2/3rds voter majority to implement this additional property owners only tax. Only to go back to deeper cuts once the voters reject it, with the City out the money to put it on the ballot. Good Luck with your tax and spend plan councilmen, I know I will be voting against it when it shows up on the ballot. Along with any more taxs from the State or County or any local agency. Enough is enough.
Not so long ago the Hesperia Star ran the story below. It turns out that the Smith-Leonard plan was to kill off the sales tax that had a good chance to pass with a proposed property tax that is dead on arrival. Russ Blewett is the only one to keep his campaign word on no new taxs. Smith has completely abandoned and reversed his "No new taxs" pledge that he made when he ran for Council last fall. Flipped over just like Anthony Adams did to us at the State level. Oh well, you were warned.
New Hesperia council must find ways to close budget gap
Majority of council members opposed putting sales tax hike on ballot
During the campaign for the Hesperia City Council this year, most of the eight candidates -- including the three ultimately elected -- loudly opposed the city council placing a proposed tax hike on the November ballot. When the new city council is seated in December, they’ll have to tackle closing the city’s expected budget gap in some other fashion.
“It’s going to be a lot of tough calls coming up this year,” Councilman Paul Bosacki said Thursday. City finances are “down again this year on the revenue from property tax, sales tax, whatever we have coming in.”
In August, Mayor Thurston “Smitty” Smith, Councilman Mike Leonard and candidate (and now councilman-elect) Russ Blewett all loudly opposed a half-cent sales tax hike officials had said would close a $1.3 million hole in the budget. (Councilman-elect Bill Holland also said he favored attracting new businesses to generate revenue, rather than raising taxes, in an Oct. interview with the Hesperia Star.)
“Now it looks like we’re going to have Blewett, Smith and Leonard on the council to explain to the public how we’re going to balance the budget without that additional revenue,” said Bosacki, who had supported putting the issue before voters on the ballot. “I’m really looking forward to that.”
“Something’s got to give, I don’t know what. I’m looking forward to Mr. Smith, Mr. Blewett and Mr. Leonard leading the way on this, because they were all adamant that the public wouldn’t get a say in this.”
Beau Yarbrough can be reached at 760-956-7108 or at beau@hesperiastar.com. Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Hesperia.Star.
What happened Tuesday Night 8-3-2010?
The No Votes of Leonard and Smith cost the residents of Hesperia $15 Million dollars in revenue for roads and public safety. You don't get to have a vote in what happens in Hesperia. What I saw was a staged protest designed by the Hesperia Star and the Daily Press that was fed with mis-information to the public from them. The people of Hesperia never had a chance to have a say in their future with 2 City council memebers voting down the publics right to vote on the ballot measure. Who won? What did they win? Nothing, except to force their political opinion on the residents of Hesperia. From where I sit, I can tell you for sure who lost. The people of Hesperia lost, big time. $15 Million Dollars of revenue over the next 5 years thanks to Smith and Leonard. No roads will be getting paved for the next few years. There's no money. Cuts in the fire district are almost a sure thing as the general fund had to bail them out this fiscal year with a million dollars. Cuts in the fire budget mean emergency services will take longer to respond, which may put people and property at more risk. Lives could be lost due to longer response times. I'm going to be listing all of the parties that spoke out against the people of Hesperia and what they said. But for the immediate future, if you have any complaints on the roads, or the lack of public services, the 2 councilmen who voted against your right to vote on these issues are Mike Leonard and Thurston Smith. Next year when the cuts are deeper, again you need to talk to Mike and Smitty for their solution to the funding problems in Hesperia. The other "candidates" for City Council (that I won't be voting for either) that spoke out against the people of Hesperia getting to vote on their future were Russ Blewett and David Holman. Lets start over with citizens who don't have a hidden agenda. 3 new faces on the council would be a good start.
Its now on them. They took control away from the public. They decided for you. Deal With IT.
Leonard and Smith while denying the public the opportunity to vote on a painless short term funding remedy now have the responsibility to come up with an acceptable plan to deal with the revenue shortfall. I will be asking them and all of the other candidates for city council to show the people of Hesperia their "better" solution to the fire district revenue decline. You killed off the public making the choice option, now its time for your plan to be presented. How is the City going to fund the Fire District at the current levels? How are you going to pave roads in Hesperia without tax revenue? What are you proposing to cut and who will lose their job?
With their 2 no votes on the question of a 1/2 cent revenue measure making it on the ballot for the people of Hesperia to decide. Hesperia City Council members Thurston Smith and Mike Leonard decided against letting the citizens in Hesperia participate in the City budget process Tuesday night. They also killed any chance for revenue to keep the road paving program alive.The number 1 citizen choice when asked ,
"If the City government could change one thing to make Hesperia a better place to live now and in the future, what change would you like to see?" 36% stated- Improve Streets, Roads.
As much as I try to figure out why, I am still at a loss to explain the logic in their no votes. It's about the democratic process, this is not Iran or some 3rd world dictatorship . Fear of the voters making a decision that they don't agree with politically is a close as I can get to of making sense of their no votes and keeping the issue away from the voting public.
The irony of Mike Leonards firemans union dilemma is obvious to everyone but Mike Leonard. His no vote will be the reason that firefighters will lose their jobs next year. How is that supporting public safety? I hope that those firefighters will ask Mike and their union to explain how cuts in staffing and hours over a 1/2 of a penny sales tax reduction is worth their job. Good luck Mike.
I have posted the Revenue Measure Feasibility Study-Draft Survey Report on a separate page for download. It contains some very interesting and surprising information. The big question now is not if people support or oppose a 1/2 cent sales tax increase for 5 years to pave some roads and help pay for public safety, the question is will the voters in Hesperia get to make that call. I started this website in 2005 and have spent countless hours working on it with the goal of getting the roads paved in Hesperia. I can live with paying 1/2 a cent tax on every dollar spent in Hesperia going towards roads, if the people of Hesperia vote that way. The problem is getting the question on the ballot. Some believe that the citizens should not have a say in how tax money is spent. That they know better than the voters as to what is important and what gets done. What do you think? Would you like to vote on it? Or vote it down? Or trust who ever is on the city council at the time to make the call? To validate that the roads in Hesperia are still far and away the number one concern of the residents of Hesperia the survey showed that 36% of respondents said roads, when they were asked. This was not a multiple choice question, it was what would you like City government to focus on? What is important to you?
Question 3 of the survey was, "If the City government could change one thing to make Hesperia a better place to live now and in the future, what change would you like to see?"
The most common response to this question was improving streets and roads in the City, which was mentioned by 36% of respondents. Approximately 14% of respondents were unsure or could not think of anything they want the City to change, which is a positive response as it indicates that there are no particular problems within the City’s scope of responsibilities that concern these voters. Other specific changes mentioned included improving public safety (11%), attracting new businesses (5%), limiting growth and development (4%), improving sewers and storm drains (4%), improving government process and leadership (4%), attracting employers and jobs (4%), and reducing traffic congestion (4%). No other category was mentioned by at least 4% of respondents.
Another net loss of U.S. golf courses in 2010
The National Golf Foundation has reported that for the fifth straight year, the U.S. suffered a net loss of golf courses. According to the NGF’s 2011 Golf Facilities in the U.S. report, 107 18-hole-equivalent courses closed in 2010 compared with 46 new course openings; the report does not count courses that are being renovated. The net loss in 2010 of 61 golf courses brings to 220 the total net loss over the last five years, or 1.5% of the total inventory of 18-hole courses.
Despite some encouraging signs that the U.S. economy might be coming out of its deep freeze, albeit slowly, 2011 should continue the trend of net closures of golf courses (my opinion, not the NGF’s). Dozens are currently for sale in all regions of the country, and a punishing winter across much of the nation will only add extra burdens to the costs of spring cleaning at many of those courses teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. We heard recently that Taberna Golf Club in New Bern, NC, run by an earnest young couple in a stable community of many retired military veterans and active duty personnel from the nearby bases, was seeking bankruptcy protection. Based on our visit to Taberna a few years ago, we have to say if it can happen there, it can happen anywhere.
Of course, bad news for someone always spells opportunity for someone else, and lately I have received inquiries from readers curious about some golf courses for sale and from others who wonder if a golf course in trouble but likely to be purchased by members or some other entity might offer a special opportunity for discount club membership or even lower real estate prices in the surrounding neighborhoods.
The answer is “maybe,” but never forget that every reward has risk attached. Do your homework, ask a lot of questions, insist on seeing financials…in short, trust but verify without putting in any investment up front. This can mean a trial membership in the golf club or renting a home in the community adjacent to the golf course before you buy. In this environment, if pays to kick the tires hard.
The story above was copied from a community golf website. The story for Hesperia was the golf course was up for sale with the water rights attached to the land. If the water rights were sold separately to an outside party the land would revert to the same as any other desert land and would never be a golf course again. The city bought the package-water rights and land together in hopes of salvaging something out of the sale of the golf course and keep it in Hesperia. No promises were made and no agenda was determined. A year later the golf course is still losing money with the park district running it and the golf course using more water then came with the water rights. Where do we go from here? We need to look at all of the factors without emotion and come to a business decision that is not based on the City subsidizing the golf course into the future with tax dollars.
Here's the deal, in the early 90's after trial the Mojave Water Agency was tasked with making sure that high desert water users did not pump more water out of the ground then the court said they could without paying the MWA for it. It's been this way since 1994. The screenshot above is from the 17th Annual Report of the Mojave Basin area WaterMaster. You can download it from the MWA website. http://www.mojavewater.org/ Go to WaterMaster drop down button and click on Annual report link in blue.
In the bottom right hand corner you have the amount due to the WaterMaster from the Hesperia Water District and the City of Hesperia for the Hesperia Golf and Country Club. The amounts due on July 1,2011 are $2,881,864.70 from the Hesperia Water District and $54,099.20 for the Hesperia Golf Club from the City of Hesperia who now owns it. This is after the Golf club used its base free production water (407 Acre feet) that the city bought to offset its overdraft. The question is why buy the water rights if they are dumping the water back on the golf club and then some? (they used 540 acre feet of water last year). Who is going to pay to water the golf club? The water district customers in Hesperia? The golfers with increased green fees? Stay tuned for an answer if there is one. The reason the folks who owned the golf club put it up for sale was that it cost more to run it then they brought in the door in green fees. It was losing money then and it still is, because of the cost of water.
After $300,000.00 from the City of Hesperia over the last 7 years the Hesperia Chamber of Commerce will open its own building this month.Here is a copy of the expense report from the Chamber.
New documents show that the City of Hesperia has donated $12,723.25 to the High Desert Hispanic Chamber of Commerce since December of 2007. This puts the total at $312,723.25 of tax dollars to the Hesperia Chamber and the Hispanic Chamber from the City of Hesperia. The question is why? How does the public benefit?
Posted: 04/04/2011 07:01:59 PM PDT San Bernardino Sun
Newly calculated numbers show that San Bernardino County's debt for its landmark legal settlement with Rancho Cucamonga developer The Colonies Partners LP will be $185 million by the time bonds reach maturity in 2037.
On a 3-2 vote, the Board of Supervisors approved the $102 million settlement, the largest in the county's history, in November 2006 to end four years of heated legal battle with the developer over flood-control improvements at property in Upland.
The property ultimately became the Colonies Crossroads residential/commercial development adjacent the 210 Freeway.
In 2006, Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Postmus, Supervisors Paul Biane and Gary Ovitt voted in favor of the settlement in 2006, while Supervisors Josie Gonzales and Dennis Hansberger dissented.
Now, state and local prosecutors say the settlement was tainted by bribery, extortion and conspiracy.
Postmus and Biane, no longer on the board, are suspected of conspiring with Colonies co-managing partners Jeffrey Burum and former assistant assessor Jim Erwin, among others, to steer a settlement in Colonies' favor in exchange for political favors and cash bribes of at least $400,000.
All have denied any wrongdoing, and neither Burum nor Biane, identified as alleged co-conspirators, have been charged with any crimes.
On March 28, Postmus, as part of a plea bargain with prosecutors, pleaded guilty to 14 felonies, admitting he took bribes in
exchange for shepherding the settlement.
He will cooperate with investigators and testify at the trials of other defendants in exchange for reduced charges.
Prosecutors say Postmus' admission to conflict of interest charges may prompt further proceedings by the county in the civil courts seeking to void the settlement.
The Board of Supervisors today will discuss that matter, as well as its pending lawsuit against San Bernardino Associated Governments, the county's transportation planning agency. The county is seeking to recoup some of the settlement costs from that agency.
In light of the Postmus plea, Sanbag has argued that the county should dismiss its lawsuit.
The county paid $22 million from its flood-control district's reserve fund to Colonies after the settlement was approved.
The county issued bonds to cover the remaining $80 million, which is being paid out by the flood-control district over 30 years.
Ken MacVey, the lawyer representing Sanbag, said the $22million payment violated the terms of the settlement agreement, because a grant deed for the property was not recorded prior to the payout.
According to the most recent numbers, the county has paid $30.8 million of its debt to Colonies and still owes $154 million, with an interest rate currently at 4.85 percent.
Those numbers, however, are subject to change over the years based on fluctuating interest rates, restructurings and other factors, county spokesman David Wert said.
Former San BernardinoCounty Assessor Bill Postmus pleaded guilty Monday afternoon to all charges against him, including possession of methamphetamine.
He agreed to be a witness in the assessor's office corruption case and the Colonies Partners case, which involved the county paying $102 million to the Rancho Cucamonga development company to settle a lawsuit over the company's Upland residential and commercial development.
Story continues below
MARK ZALESKI / The Press-Enterprise
Bill Postmus waits in department S19 for the start of his plea deal hearing in San BernardinoSuperior Court Monday.
Postmus, along with former assistant assessor Jim Erwin, were charged in the Colonies conspiracy case in February 2010.
The case also included five unnamed and uncharged co-conspirators. The John Does were lated identified as Jeff Burum and Dan Richards, co-managing members of Colonies Partners, former San Bernardino County Supervisor Paul Biane, who voted for the settlement, Mark Kirk, former chief of staff to Supervisor Gary Ovitt, and Patrick O'Reilly, a media consultant to Colonies.
None of the John Does have been charged and all have denied wrongdoing.
If Postmus testifies truthfully and a judge and the DA agree that he fulfilled the terms of the plea agreement, the charges will be reduced to three counts.
They are: conspiracy to accept a bribe from the Colonies case, conflict of interest from the Colonies case and misappropriation of public funds from the assessor's office case.
According to the DA's office, "There was no agreement on sentence. Postmus would face a maximum of 5 years in State Prison for the above three charges."
Posted: 03/28/2011 05:27:31 PM PDT San Bernardino Sun
Former Assessor and former Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Postmus struck a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty today to criminal charges stemming from the $102 million Colonies lawsuit settlement and alleged malfeasance in the Assessor's Office.
Postmus entered the guilty pleas before Judge Michael Smith in San Bernardino Superior Court to all offenses charged in both the Colonies Conspiracy case and in the separate Assessor case, according to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office.
As part of the plea agreement with the District Attorney and the state Attorney General, Postmus agreed to cooperate in the ongoing investigation and to testify truthfully in subsequent court proceedings.
If he gives truthful
Former San Bernardino County Assessor and former Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Postmus struck a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to criminal charges stemming from the $102 million Colonies lawsuit settlement and alleged malfeasance in the Assessor's Office at the San Bernardino Superior Court. (Al Cuizon/Staff Photographer)
testimony in all future proceedings, Postmus will be sentenced on three felony charges: conspiracy to accept a bribe and conflict of interest in the Colonies case for actions while he was chairman of the Board of Supervisors and one count of misappropriation of public funds while he was county Assessor in a separate case. The remaining charges would be dismissed.
There was no agreement on sentence, according to prosecutors. Postmus would face a maximum of five years in state prison for the above three charges, and the court would take into consideration his degree of cooperation at the time of sentencing.
"The plea today resulted from the filing of conspiracy charges in connection with the Colonies settlement last year by my office and the Attorney General and demonstrates that public officials will be held accountable for violations of the public trust while in office," said District Attorney Michael Ramos, in a statement. "The District Attorney's Office and the Attorney General will continue to vigorously pursue our investigation and prosecutions in this joint effort to seek justice for the citizens of San Bernardino County."
Postmus' admission to a conflict of interest charge may lead to further proceedings in the civil courts seeking to void the Colonies settlement. His next court appearance is Oct. 14 for a status conference.
What is the job of the City Council? The 3 duties of the Council are spelled out in the Procedures Manual.
DUTIES OF THE CITY COUNCIL
City Council members and City staff shall conduct the business of the City of Hesperia:
1. recognizing that the stewardship of the public interest must be of primary concern;
2. working for the common good of the people of Hesperia;
3. assuring fair and equal treatment of all persons, claims and transactions coming before the City Council, City Council Committees, and City Council established Boards and Commissions (legislative bodies).
It's not that complex, it has to do with the public interest, the common good, and fair and equal treatment of all persons. The issues should have something to do with priorities or problems that effect a large number of citizens, not a few. Big issues like repairing flood damaged roads, paving residential dirt roads, traffic congestion on Main Street, funding and how much public safety can we afford should be on the agenda. Instead we have small issues that only concern a few people, or are not a problem at all to the majority of people in Hesperia. Lets quit wasting time and address real issues that the people of Hesperia have to deal with on a daily basis.
As of January 31,2011 this is what the road on my street looks like after being damaged in December.This is the kind of issue that I want the City Council to be working on.
In reveiwing the City of Hesperia "Council Procedures Manual" that was adopted by the City on March 16, 2010, I have learned that most people (including myself) don't understand the difference between the type of City government we have in Hesperia and the other types of government that some other cities have. The "Government Structure" that we have in Hesperia is called a City Council-City Manager type of government. What most people mistake it for is an Elected Mayor / City Council type of government where a separately elected Mayor takes on the full time job of running the City and is a separate entity, with different powers and authority from the City Council.
In Hesperia the "Mayor" is appointed to a one year term by the City Council and has no extra powers or authority when acting as Mayor. The "Mayor" has 6 specific duties and no others under the Hesperia City Council-City Manager type of government as defined and listed in the Hesperia Council Procedures Manual,
"The Duties of the Mayor shall be: 1. appointed from members of the City Council by a majority vote at its first meeting in December annually;
2. the presiding officer at all meetings of the Council;
3. responsible for the control, debate and order of speakers;
4. referred to as “Chair” when acting as presiding officer of any legislative body meetings other than Council;
5. the representative of the City Council at ceremonial functions and may, at his/her own discretion, ask another Council Member to represent the Council at the function; and
6. entitled to make and second motions on matters before the City Council and vote on actions, but shall possess no veto power over actions of the City Council."
The 5 elected City Council members,including the appointed "Mayor" all have the same duties and no more.
DUTIES OF THE CITY COUNCIL
City Council members and City staff shall conduct the business of the City of Hesperia:
1. recognizing that the stewardship of the public interest must be of primary concern;
2. working for the common good of the people of Hesperia; and
3. assuring fair and equal treatment of all persons, claims and transactions coming before the City Council, City Council Committees, and City Council established Boards and Commissions (legislative bodies).
The points that I am trying to make, are that the City Manager runs the City on a day to day basis and the City Council sets policy twice a month. The City Council sets policy by a vote of the full Council and no individual Council member or Council member "acting" as Mayor speaks for the City Council. No individual Council member sets policy or outlines the policy direction of the City of Hesperia. No individual council member should use their elected position to promote their political or personal agenda or platform while serving as a City council member. As has been the case in Hesperia for the last 20 years.
Also,that our duties and juristiction are focused and concerned with Hesperia and only with Hesperia. The adopted ordinance states, "City Council members and City staff shall conduct the business of the City of Hesperia". It doesn't say more because we don't have any authority outside of the City of Hesperia. We can only deal with Hesperia issues, not State or County or Federal. Not Constitutional or Supreme Court, or First Amendment or Immigration law. So lets get busy, and stick to the business at hand. Hesperia Only Please.
( For more on this subject please click on the City Gov Myths page.)
Updated Jan 23 With Chamber Denial of Subsidy (BELOW)
Council struggles with budget
Bosacki: Hesperia can no longer be ‘sugar daddy’ to other agencies
BY BEAU YARBROUGH STAFF WRITER- VV Daily Press 1- 20-2011
The city of Hesperia is spending too much money that it doesn’t have on other localentities, according to one city councilman. Calling them “an investment we can’t afford any more,” Paul Bosacki said city officials need to look at cutting expenses in the form of a subsidy to the Hesperia Chamber of Commerce, joint use agreements with the Hesperia Recreation and Park District and money spentto help pay for crossing guards at Hesperia Unified School District sites.
Bosacki made the remarks at Tuesday night’s Hesperia City Council meeting. “ The chamber is $60,000 a year, $5,000 a month,” Bosacki said Wednesday. “And I thinkthe crossing guards are about $50,000 a year.” The Chamber of Commerce uses the money, in part, to pay for a paid administrator, he said.
Bosacki said the city needs to consider more cuts in next year’s budget process. “The park district partnered with the city of Hesperia to build the civic center park. They’ve never paid the city anything for their couple million-dollar obligation,” Bosacki said. “Hesperia Lake (Park), city-owned property, we lease it to them for a buck. They make whatever they make on it. The list goes on and on as an example of the park district never coming through on their obligations.”
Park District General Manager Cal Camara took exception to Bosacki’s characterization of the two agencies’ financial relationship. “First we agreed to maintain the park for our portion (of the costs), and then later they wanted us to pay for a part of it,” Camara said Wednesday. “Quite frankly, us maintaining that park in perpetuity ... that’s worth a lot, as far as a joint use goes.” Lawyers for the city and park district are working out the exact details of the contract between both agencies, he said. “We do have an agreement to help pay for the park and we certainly plan to do so,” Camara said. “There are reasons for the delay, but that doesn’t reflect an unwillingness (to pay).” (What?)
Bosacki said Hesperia is in a bad position to supplement other local government agencies’ revenue. All of those other agencies get way more property tax revenue than the city of Hesperia. The city gets 1.59 percent of each dollar paid in taxes, he said. “The city of Hesperia can no longer be the sugar daddy and be doling out all this money to other agencies with the current financial issues. It’s time that everybody, you know, faces the music on their own terms. We can’t keep going in the same way we have been going.
“We’re going to have to really start evaluating what the budget priorities are in the city of Hesperia,” he said. “We’re not addressing what needs to be addressed.”
UPDATED With City Documents From Dec 20,2006
The Chamber response to the subsidy is a denial in the Hesperia Star.
“In no way does the Hesperia Chamber of Commerce receive from the city of Hesperia any subsidy, gift or donation for the chamber to run the organization or pay an administrator,” said Matthew Hawkins, the chairman of the board of the Hesperia Chamber of Commerce, on Thursday. “Hesperia’s Chamber of Commerce is a financially self-sustaining organization. All our expenses are paid through our over 350-plus proud membership that pays dues, our fundraising efforts and our sponsorship programs we offer at our events throughout the year.”
Instead, the chamber has a contract for services provided to the city, Hawkins said. According to a city spokesperson, the services include maintaining a website to serve as a source of business information for the local community, running the Friday morning coffees and an annual business expo.
So at this point we have a problem, if the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Board states, “In no way does the Hesperia Chamber of Commerce receive from the city of Hesperia any subsidy, gift or donation for the chamber to run the organization or pay an administrator,” and the staff report and vote that the City Council took says that the funds have since 2007 paid for a "Executive Director ($30,000 City $50,000 Chamber) , then we are missing $120,000 in tax payer funds since 2007. See page 2 item 1 below...
As the City Council gets ready to tackle the City budget mess ,things are getting a little tense among certain Council members. Thurston Smith and Michael Leonard in particular. They voted in 2006 to increase (up from $25,000 a year starting in 2005)the Chamber of Commerce annual gift of $60,000 City of Hesperia tax dollars every year.
Note the discussion by Eric Schroder promising Quarterly Reports and the need for the increase to $60,000 to hire an "Executive Director". 2 years on the City Council and I,ve never heard one yet. I'm glad that Mr. Hawkins came out and stated that the money was not used to pay for an executive director as it was presented to the Council . Now we need an audit to find out where the Chamber actually spent that $120,000 of tax payer dollars instead of what the Council voted it for.
It was called an annual partnership agreement so it will come up for consideration at a future City Council meeting. Its a matter of setting priorities while spending your tax dollars, and its a matter of public services that are not getting funded or being eliminated. Can the City afford this corporate welfare while not spending any money paving roads this year? While cutting staff and their pay? While flood damaged roads remain safety hazards without repair? (See photo below of current status of the road I live on in Hesperia. Chamber luncheon or street repair? Leonard and Smith choose Chamber luncheon.)
From 2006 to 2010 the $240,000 tax subsidy (gift) to the Chamber of Commerce from Smith and Leonard has yet to justified in the amount of jobs that the Chamber can prove that it has created with those tax dollars. What the staff report did say was thatyour tax dollars pay for, was the Hesperia Chambers annual golf tournament,the Friday morning Coffee Club and the Chambers monthly luncheon. $30,000 of your tax dollars each year also helps pay the salary for an "Executive Director" of the Hesperia Chamber of Commerce. I count 1 job created with your $240,000.00 tax dollars, and that person works for the Chamber of Commerce, not for you. As far as the other issues go, the School District needs to deal with paying crossing guards not the City. And the Park District needs to honor its agreement to pay for half of the Civic Center park. They have not paid anything yet, after the park has been there for 2 years.
This photo is from January 11,2011 and it shows the progress the County has made at repairing the flood damage from the December 22 flood on Temecula Ave in Hesperia. That would be none. We are just waiting for some one to drive off into this cavern in the middle of the night. Note the exposed gray natural gas pipe line, imagine a car landing on top of it.
As if on que and to validate concerns that the BIA is back in power in Hesperia,"new" Hesperia Planning Commissioner Bill Jensen suggested that the planning commission table a vote "until a representative of the Baldy View Chapter of the Building Industry Association could comment". Like the old days when nothing got through the City Council without Bill Postmus's approval or knowledge. From a Daily Press story 1-17-2011
Hesperia approves resolution to amend density bonus program
BY PETER DAY -VV Daily Press, January 17, 2011
STAFF WRITER
HESPERIA • The Hesperia Planning Commission approved a resolution amending the city’s density bonus program.
The program lets developers build housing projects with more units than their land is zoned. In turn, developers promise to rent the housing at affordable prices to lower-income renters.
The amendment , which passed Thursday (January 13, 2011) on a 3-2 vote, follows recent revisions to California’s planning and zoning laws. Hesperia’s density bonus program was adopted in 1992.
According to the amendments, a bonus of 20 percent will be given for very low- and lower-income units, 5 percent to moderate-income units and 20 percent to senior housing of 35 units or more.
Following a staff presentation by Lisette Sanchez-Mendoza , new Commissioner Bill Jensen suggested the commission table vote on the item until a representative of the Baldy View Chapter of the Building Industry Association could comment. A motion was then made to postpone the density bonus program amendment vote until March , but was rejected 2-3. Afterward, the commission voted 3-2, with new commissioners Jensen and Paul Russ voting no.
The amendment will go before the City Council, which will consider the ordinance.
The "new" version of the Hesperia City Council and Planning Commission is actually a return to the same politics that was in place 10 years ago. The same faces have returned to City Hall to put back the policies that favor the "private" sector financially while using public tax dollars to fund them. These economic theories have failed in Hesperia and everywhere else over the last few years, but by the time the public becomes aware of them the money is long gone. A few real estate insiders will profit with the new planning commission and the rezoning that will take place, but the public will suffer. The building industry shills and the folks involved in High Desert real estate are foaming at the mouth with their new City Council and Planning Commission. Special treatment for them is the new expectation and it will be granted. The publics need for services and the painfull lessons learned from the failures of using real estate and building as the City's main priority will be ignored. The stage is being set to defer fees on new construction until the property sells. Why? Becuase it benefits builders, they don't have to pay the same fees that everyone else has paid up to now. They will get a pass from the new City Council, unlike the public. You still have to pay up front. The claim will be that the City should help the builders sell their new houses. What about the existing 4,000 homes that are for sale? The ones that citizens have been paying taxs on since they were first bought, should the City help these folks sell their houses? Should the City give them back their fees until their house sells? It's going to be interesting as the City government returns to 2001 builder-real estate based policies in a 2011 environment. Its a completely different world out there, and Hesperia has alot more people depending on public services.
A merry Christmas gift for the San Bernardino County Public Employees Association (SBPEA) union members who work for the City of Hesperia from the new Hesperia City Council. The new "union" friendly City Council did not waste any time on taking care of the union members in Hesperia, by giving them a week off with pay at the first real City Council meeting since getting sworn in on December 7, 2010. On a 4 to 1 vote, the Hesperia City Council approved closing City Hall for the week between the Christmas and New Years day paid holidays. And pay everybody to stay home for the week in between.
From the staff report..
"In partial recognition for the salary and benefits reductions City employees' have experienced, the City is proposing to have full time employees have paid time off during the work week between Christmas Day 2010 and New Year's Day.
Based on an employee's regular schedule, typically A, B, or C, full time employees will be on a paid day off, on December 27,28,29, and 30, 2010. Different shift employees will not receive the same number of hours off.
With the exception of police, fire, and Animal Control services and the animal shelter, city facilities will be closed for business those days."
Along with a one year contract from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011 it pays off to be a County Public Employee union member working in Hesperia. I'll be interested to see if ANY other city in San Bernardino County is as good to the SBPEA members as the Hesperia City Council was this holiday season. For the MOU details download the 12-21-2010 agenda from the City of Hesperia website.
A short explanation of the philosophical difference between myself and the rest of the Hesperia City Council. My belief is that local government is there to provide services to the PUBLIC with the tax dollars that government collects from the PUBLIC. Stuff like providing paved roads, police, fire, parks, water, etc. The PRIVATE sector before the PUBLIC sector believes that government is there to help business and/or the business owners as its main job. So you hear that using tax dollars to aid private sector "job creation" is now the priority and the majority of public services will not be funded. Victorville has used this private sector has priority over public sector logic to tax and bond its citizens into paying for the many Buck Johns power plants. Mr. Johns has recieved millions of tax dollars while the public has gone without services and / or services have been reduced or eliminated. The people in Victorville will be paying for the next 40 years for the power plants. The same mentality is at work in Hesperia and Apple Valley with developers / business interests pocketing tax dollars while controlling the agenda of local government agencies. The $5,000.00 a month that the City Of Hesperia gives to the Hesperia Chamber of Commerce is a good example. What good does this gift of tax dollars do for the public? Nothing that I can see, but the Council is stacked with Chamber of Commerce members. So this is the way your tax dollars are spent. And this falls under the "code" of business and job creation with tax dollars. The County of San Bernardino is the most extreme example of this political philosophy at work. I don't take it personally that my position is not the same as the other council members. Thats the way it goes, and the voters have spoken. Just don't look to get your road paved if you live in Hesperia with the private greed before public need City Council that has just been elected.
Congratulations to the County of San Bernardino political machine and their "unions", they have taken over the Hesperia City Council. Good luck to the residents of Hesperia with the County unions owning 4 of the 5 seats on the Hesperia City Council. Its all downhill from here on out. I'm going to research the form 700's, form 460's, and the FPPC on what the rules are and how they apply to the Hesperia City Council and how the financial influence from the County of San Bernardino will be interpreted in votes that involve the County or its unions. The "potential" County financial conflicts may be Smith's wife Margaret Smith is a County employee, Bill Holland is a County employee, Russ Blewett is a County planning commissioner, and Mike Leonard gets a County retirement check from the Fire District.
Here's the rule that may help the public in the City Council votes.
(Regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission, Title 2, Division 6, California Code of Regulations.)
§ 18700. Basic Rule; Guide to Conflict of Interest Regulations.
(a) No public official at any level of state or local government may make, participate in making or in any way use or attempt to use his/her official position to influence a governmental decision in which he/she knows or has reason to know he/she has a disqualifying conflict of interest. A public official has a conflict of interest if the decision will have a reasonably foreseeable material financial effect on one or more of his/her economic interests, unless the public official can establish either: (1) that the effect is indistinguishable from the effect on the public generally, or (2) a public official's participation is legally required.
What is a disqualifying conflict of interest?
(Regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission, Title 2, Division 6, California Code of Regulations)
§ 18703.3. Economic Interest, Defined: Source of Income.
(a)(1) For purposes of disqualification under Sections 87100 and 87103, a public official has an economic interest in any person from whom he or she has received income, including commission income and incentive compensation as defined in this regulation, aggregating five hundred dollars ($500) or more within 12 months prior to the time when the relevant governmental decision is made. A public official's income includes income which has been promised to the public official but not yet received by him or her, if he or she has a legally enforceable right to the promised income.
(2) Parent, Subsidiary, Otherwise Related Business Entity. An official has an economic interest in a business entity which is a parent or subsidiary of, or is otherwise related to, a business entity in which the official has an interest as defined in Section 87103(c). “Parents, subsidiaries, and otherwise related business entities” are defined in Regulation 18703.1(d).
(3) In addition to having an economic interest in any business entity from which the official has received income of five hundred ($500) or more within 12 months prior to the time when the relevant governmental decision is made, the official has a source-of-income economic interest in all of the following:
(A) Any individual owning a 50 percent or greater interest in that business entity.
(B) Any individual, regardless of the extent of the individual's ownership interest in that entity, who has the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the business entity.
(b) Former employers. Source of income, as used in Section 87103
(c) and this section, shall not include a former employer if: All income from the employer was received by or accrued to the public official prior to the time he or she became a public official; the income was received in the normal course of the previous employment; and there was no expectation by the public official at the time he or she assumed office of renewed employment with the former employer.
The latest information shows that the 3 San Bernardino County public employees unions are the largest campaign contributors to 4 Hesperia City Council candidates ( Smith-Holland-Holman-DeHay). The County unions who represent employees at City Hall along with police and fire employees that the City employs through contracts with the County easily control the Hesperia City Council now that "their" candidates have been elected. The latest campaign financial disclosures show that Thurston "Smitty" Smith, Bill Holland and David Holman and Dennis DeHay have all received major funding from County public employee unions. These unions have their eyes on the City reserves to tap for their pay-overtime and pensions. In fiscal year 2010-2011 the City had to subsidize the Fire District a MILLION DOLLARS from the General Fund to maintain the County Fire contract at its "Current" level despite cuts in every other department. This also means NO funding to pave roads out of the General Fund, ZERO- ZIP -NADA for roads.
FYI- WHAT MEASURES HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN TO REDUCE/CONTROL COSTS?
The City of Hesperia has a history of being fiscally prudent and spending within our means while maintaining healthy reserves for one-time expenses and emergencies. Currently, the City provides services for 89,000 citizens with only 193 general employees; 57 sworn (San Bernardino County Sheriff Deputies) contract police employees; and 53 (San Bernardino County Fire) contract fire employees; which is a small staff for a City of our size.
A summary of key steps taken to reduce/control costs so far, include:
» $2 million in cuts from the General Fund (or 8%) reflected in the 2010/11 budget.
» All City employee salaries will be cut by 5% and the City's contribution toward employee pensions will be reduced by 3%, resulting in savings of $753,725 and $368,774 respectively, for a total savings of $1,122,499.
» A hiring freeze was implemented for all non-critical positions, resulting in a total of 11 positions that were eliminated, for a savings of approximately $835,800 (3 of those positions were due to employee retirements, for a savings of approximately $318,000, and the remaining 8 were unfilled positions that were eliminated for a net annual savings of approximately $517,800). Other employee benefit reductions resulted in an additional savings of $249,000.
» During high construction times, the City used contract Planners, Public Works Inspectors and Building Inspectors who were released when construction slowed. This resulted in a total savings of $1.8 million over the last three years.
» The City has worked closely with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and San Bernardino County Fire to maintain the current contract rate of $11,469,387 and $9,452,569 respectively.
» The City aggressively applies for all available grant funding for projects such as the Ranchero Underpass and Interchange; solar panels for the new Police Station to reduce utility costs; the Industrial Rail Spur project; Community Branch Library and a variety of smaller projects such as the addition of bicycle lanes and improving water and sewer infrastructure.
» The City utilizes volunteers and interns wherever possible, including at the main receptionist desk at City Hall, to reduce payroll costs.
» Capital projects (Police Station; Township Program; Ranchero Underpass) built, or being built, using restricted funds, not General Fund monies.
» Reconstruction of the aging fire station 301 and improvements to fire station 304 to improve exhaust ventilation have been put on hold indefinitely.
» Spending restrictions have been placed on all City staff limiting all non-critical purchases.
» Staffing plans and equipment purchases for fire station 305 put on hold.
Note: For the first time in the Fire District's history, the General Fund will be forced to subsidize it $1 million in 2010/11.
Why should the voters care? The City of Hesperia pays these people with your tax dollars. Better than half of the general fund is spent on labor costs, add the Fire District in and its well over $20,000,000.00 (Thats $20 MILLION) a year paid out to union workers from the City. If the Unions control the City Council and the agenda, "their " councilmen will give away all of the tax dollars in the General Fund to the unions contract demands. You will never see another road getting paved if the "unions" control the City Council and your tax dollars.
For the record- Smith took $2,500.00 from the San Bernardino Public Employee Association (City workers), Smith took $1,000 from San Bernardino County Fire Fighters Local 935 and $3,929.15 from the San Bernardino County Safety Employees Benefit Association (SEBA) police. For a total of $7,429.15 from unions that he would be in negotiations with as a City Council member.
Holland took $3,459.15 from SEBA for signs-mailers and radio ads and another $1,000.00 in cash for a total of $4,459.15 from the County union.
Holman took in $2,500.00 from the San Bernardino Public Employee Association.
DeHay took in $2,500.00 from the same Public Employees union.
Bottom line is that if any of these 4 get elected they will put the Unions interests before the tax payers and the public will lose everytime. Think before you vote, how should your tax dollars be spent in Hesperia? On public services or on union demands?
This explains Smiths recent conversion to "public safety" over public services.
Some of Smiths recent statements on roads? "Public safety, to my point of view, is number one. Roads are two or three on the list," said Smith. "We've paved a lot of roads over the years."
Smith supported the proposed tax back in January, when it was going to solely be used for public safety. But then the council majority’s focus shifted, he said. “It stretched from police and fire to animal control, code enforcement, and then roads got in there.”
( "Then roads got in there"? Is there something bad about people wanting a paved road from the City? With their tax dollars?)
And when the proposed tax became a general tax, Smith said he stopped supporting the idea.
“You could give the employees a raise, you could give the [city manager] a raise. You could do it for a lot of things, but for what the people really wanted it for.”
If Smith would have read the feasability survey, he would have discovered that paving roads is what the people really wanted it for. Improve Roads came in at 36%, Not Sure/ Can't Think of Anything came in 2nd at 13.5% And Smith's Number one priority Public Safety came in 3rd at 11.4%
The latest, at the 10-5-2010 Hesperia City Council meeting Mike Leonard stated“Today I got a letter here from, I believe, it’s the Free Press (Al Vogler’s mailer to Hesperia voters),” Councilmember Mike Leonard said. “And I read it, and I never read so much crap in my life. There’s not one thing in here that is true or factual.”
Leonard criticized the mailer for claiming Smith had voted to increase the city’s contribution to the Hesperia Chamber of Commerce.
“Smitty was not on board (city council) when we voted to give them $60,000. I believe he was still on the park board. So when you get this letter in the mail just consider what you’re reading, and if you have any questions you can call me or, I guess, anybody up here, and we can sit down and talk about it.”
Then it was Thurston Smith's turn to voice his opinion,
Smith addressed the sales tax vote and chamber funding issues. “In my opinion, my fellow council members didn’t do the homework to know that it took a four-fifths vote to get it on the ballot. In turn, they wasted $105,000,” Smith said. “When I came on the council, we cut the budget to the chamber. Check the records. Check with Brian Johnson, the finance director. That is very misleading and deceiving to the public, Al (Vogler). And some of the other rhetoric, I don’t need to lower myself to that standard.”
(Lets see, $105,000 on a survey to see what the people of Hesperia want their City to focus on. 36 percent said ROADS. Or $240,000 paid to the Hesperia Chamber of Commerce over Smiths 4 years? For what again? More on 'waste' at the next city council meeting.)
Here's the problem I have with Leonards and Smith's statements, to borrow from Mike Leonard's rant-
There’s not one thing in Leonard or Smiths statements that is true or factual.
After being accused of not doing my homework and being told to "Check the records" by Smith. I did both. Guess what?
Al Vogler was right, Smith and Leonard were wrong again and on the record trying to mislead and deceive the public.
Here's what "the records" show, Smith was elected in November of 2006, sworn in at the December 6, 2006 meeting. The increase to $60,000 tax dollars to the Hesperia Chamber of Commerce was proposed at the December 20th 2006 meeting. Leonard and Smith both voted in favor of it. Whats wrong with this picture? Well, Smith wants you to vote for him next month. That's up to you, but he's not getting my vote. It's not about giving the Chamber of Commerce tax dollars. Its about the people of Hesperia and their interests with their tax dollars . Smith's record of actions show that he puts the Chamber's interests before the people interests. No money for roads but $60,000 annually to pay for the Chambers "Executive Director" salary? $30,000 out of the redevelopment agency? No thanks, anyone but Thurston Smith or Russ Blewett or David Holman. All 3 have been elected to office and all 3 have used the office to benefit special interests instead of the citizens interests.
Hello Hesperia, Thanks for visiting. This website is about you and the quality of life in Hesperia. I started it in 2005, concerned with the lack of progress that the Hesperia City Council had made in paving residential roads. The issue of improving roads is still the number one concern of Hesperia residents, far and away. The roads in Hesperia are the 24/7 reminder of local governments failure or success. Your vote is your voice on November 2nd.
Here's the deal, what City government's job is about has already been defined. From the Hesperia City Council Procedures Manual,
DUTIES OF THE CITY COUNCIL
City Council members and City staff shall conduct the business of the City of Hesperia:
o recognizing that the stewardship of the public interest must be of primary concern;
o working for the common good of the people of Hesperia; and
o assuring fair and equal treatment of all persons, claims and transactions coming before the City Council, City Council Committees, and City Council established Boards and Commissions (legislative bodies).
For the clueless city council candidates, its not about business interests, or job creation with tax payer money. Think PUBLIC SERVICES. Think PUBLIC INTEREST. With PUBLIC TAX DOLLARS for PUBLIC BENEFIT. Thats paving roads, providing public safety, water and public works and countless other PUBLIC services that local government is required to provide.
Give somebody who hasn't been in local government a shot at it. At least they don't have a pre- determined agenda. Don't expect anything to change right away. It's about PUBLIC interest, not political, not personal, not business, not ethnic, not religious. These PUBLIC SERVICE jobs are just that and nothing more. The process takes years to get from a to b, so don't believe the campaign rhetoric. Its easier to spot the bad guys then it is to support an unknown, the bad guys have a track record of actions that make them the bad guys. Follow the money, special interests expect to be paid back once their candidates get elected. See who gets the money from special interests here after the 460's are filed in October. And from the song Mrs. Robinson..
Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon,
Going to the candidates’ debate,
Laugh about it, Shout about it,
When you’ve got to choose,
Every way you look at it you lose.
Based on the "candidates" and their comments so far, I can't bring myself to vote for anyone in Hesperia for City Council. I'm writing in NOTA- None Of The Above for Hesperia City Council.
If you can't bring yourselve to write in NOTA choose 3 from this list- Sean Wright-James Blocker- Don Parkman. The 3 that are special interest candidates who you should NOT vote for are Smith-Blewett- Holman. They will work against the people of Hesperia in favor of private business interests. Developers-Chamber of Commerce etc.
You Have the Power to Establish:
A National Standard for Withholding Consent in an Election to Office
By Writing-In "None of the Above"
If you find yourself not voting for an office because no candidate is acceptable, then we ask you to write-in "None of the Above", rather than not voting or using some other write-in, because:
Writing-in "None of the Above" makes clear you are withholding your consent to this election to office because of unacceptable candidates instead of a lack of interest or information, etc.
Writing-in "None of the Above" helps establish a standard form of withholding consent, which is far more likely to be reported in election results than a scattering of write-in votes or not voting.
If substantial numbers of voters use this standard form of withholding consent and it is reported, this would likely increase awareness of the NOTA ballot option.
As more voters write-in "None of the Above", the pressure to enact Voter Consent laws establishing a NOTA ballot option should increase.
A substantial "None of the Above" vote in a race would help identify it as one in which voters might be more receptive to new candidates in a future election as well as reduce the political mandate of the elected candidate.
How do you Write-In "None of the Above"?
When you vote, your ballot should allow you to write-in a name rather than voting for one of the listed candidates for each office. Often the write-in space is right on the ballot below the listed candidates for an office; sometimes you may have to request a write-in ballot. In either case, you can write-in "None of the Above" or its standard abbreviation "NOTA". Since we are hoping to establish these as a standard, you should write them exactly as the appear here.
What if you do not vote at all?
If you do not vote at all because you feel most choices presented to you are unacceptable, then please vote by writing-in "None of the Above" to make that clear. If you are not registered to vote, then we urge you to register and then vote by writing-in "None of the Above", because your not voting is taken to mean you do not care or you consent to whatever other voters decide.
If you are counting or reporting votes
Those counting votes and reporting vote counts are urged to report a single total for "None of the Above" and its standard abbreviation "NOTA".
Local Government 101
In Hesperia, the City Council job is a non-partisan, part time position. 2 meetings a month with a small stipend for pay. That means that you have to live in Hesperia to run, and the only people who get to vote are the people who live in Hesperia. The only issues that the City Council has any say in are Hesperia issues, and they have nothing to do with party politics or any other level of government. Just what goes on in Hesperia, not the County, not the State, not on the Federal level. No Republican or Democrat political positions, no teaparty or liberal rhetoric. Just Hesperia issues,concerning the residents of Hesperia, that's all the City Council job is about. Politics causes the problems in government, it is not the solution to problems. Politics is why nothing gets done at other levels of government, and its why local government should be free from politics. Thats why the City Council job is defined as non-partisan.
Non-partisan means no political party. There are no Republican, Democrat, or any other political party links to the City or conducting the public business of the citizens of Hesperia . By law, no local City tax money can be spent nor can any City resources be used on any partisan or non-partisan political event or campaign.
The photo below documents such a violation of law by using local Hesperia tax dollars and City of Hesperia resources for "politicians" supporting a ballot measure that has nothing to do with Hesperia and will not effect Hesperia in any way.
Local Republican's speak in favor of Texas oil companies Valero and Tesoro ballot measure. What does it have to do with Hesperia? Why Hesperia City Hall as the site?
California's Prop. 23, backed by oil giants with a lot to lose, needs to go down in flames It's up to voters to save the state from big oil interests.
Steve Lopez LA Times
September 5, 2010
I don't mean to disturb your holiday weekend just when you're trying to scrub that grease off the barbecue grill. But I thought now was a good time to remind you that in two months, you'll have an important choice to make about the air you breathe.
In November, you'll be asked whether California should continue on the path to becoming one of the world's environmental leaders. Or give up the good fight and pray that the global warming deniers are right.
I'm talking about Proposition 23, which comes to us courtesy of some of the finest corporate citizens America has to offer. We begin with Texas oil giants Valero and Tesoro, which both have refineries in California and are together sinking millions into the campaign to rewrite environmental standards here.
Then there's a company owned by oil billionaires Charles and David Koch, which has kicked $1 million into the Prop. 23 kitty. Those two cowboys have earned themselves a reputation for sponsoring campaigns that deny the need for renewable energy and also for backing groups that have trained "tea party" activists.
Still enjoying your holiday?
The goal of Prop. 23 is to derail the environmental plan we already have in place, one that was written without the help of Texans or tea party crackpots. It's called the Global Warming Solutions Act, drafted by state legislators and signed in 2006 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Scheduled to begin rolling out next year, it would require a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.
But compliance would cost energy companies a few bucks. And so they came up with Prop. 23, which would delay implementation of California's landmark legislation until unemployment drops to 5.5%. I'm not a betting man, but I'm not sure that will happen before the polar ice caps melt and Seal Beach and Oxnard, among other coastal locales, are under water.
Now here's a shocker for you — Valero and Tesoro are among the state's top polluters. And cleaning up their act will cut into profits. So over the next eight weeks, they'll try to frighten you into believing that if California doesn't get off this tree-hugging kick, we'll all be out of work and out of gas.
In truth, yes, in the short term fuel costs may rise a bit, and vehicle costs as well, along with some energy bills. And Prop. 23 proponents say we're dreaming if we think one state can have an impact on global warming and pollution.
But foes of Prop. 23 argue that in doing the right thing for the environment, California can lead the way for the nation, as it has in the past with things like automobile fuel efficiency. And in this case, the state would also reap the benefits of a new economy built around green technology.
So yes, a lot is at stake, and those stakes were raised last week in Sacramento. On the last hoary night of a disastrous legislative session, a pair of bills that would have required California to continue weaning itself from highly polluting energy sources went down in flames, thanks in part to the muscle of Pacific Gas & Electric.
State Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), the author of that losing proposition, told me the loss "makes it all the more pressing that Proposition 23 is defeated." Simitian also happened to be a co-author of the 2006 warming solutions act that is now threatened by Prop. 23, and he said California has to step up, now, and reaffirm its image as the potential home of a new economy.
"When you send that signal to the market, the market responds by sending talent and dollars to California," said Simitian, who thinks there's a chance of a Silicon Valley-type explosion of jobs. "If we don't send that signal … then those dollars are going to go to some other state or some other country."
There is nothing evil or nefarious in what Valero and Tesoro are doing, said Fadel Gheit, a former oil industry executive who's now an energy analyst for Oppenheimer & Co. in New York.
"It's not personal and it's not emotional. It's business, and they're in the business of creating value for their shareholders," said Gheit. But, he added, "we are in bed with the worst people in the world because of our dependence on oil," and, as in the past, California can be the place where radical change begins.
We're already on the way, said V. John White of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies. He said roughly 20 wind, solar and geothermal energy projects are under way in places where natural resources are great and unemployment is high.
"That's happening in Riverside County, San Bernardino, Kern and Imperial counties," White said.
Those are places with red-state politics, which sets up an interesting political conversation. What happens when tea party kooks try to beat back job prospects out there?
As my colleague George Skelton pointed out, the certifiably conservative George Shultz — a Reagan and Nixon official — is campaigning against Prop. 23, because he thinks that reducing our dependence on fossil fuels is crucial for national security.
And Schwarzenegger, fishing a shallow stream for a legacy, is flexing what little muscle he has left to fight the "greedy" Texans, as he calls them.
"We will continue moving this state forward," he said in June, "with our comprehensive energy policy that creates jobs, reduces our reliance on foreign oil and ensures the California we love will be the California we hand over to the next generation."
On the "soft" Hesperia Mayor's position, like the City Council job it is a part time job that has no extra pay or no extra power. The City council appoints one of the Council members to the position every year. It is a ceremonial appointment, and who ever is in the position has no more authority than the other 4 City Council members. The Mayor does not speak for the City or for the Council, the Mayor's actions or behavior while Mayor are not a reflection of the City or the City Council. The appointed "Mayor" can speak at community gatherings or ground breaking ceremonies, try to run the Council meetings twice a month, and represent Hesperia at other government meetings. But the position has no extra power or authority than any of the other 4 councilmembers.
The dog catchers job is described in its title. If you were elected to the dog catcher job, you would be expected to catch dogs and keep your political veiws to yourself. The City Council job is the same. You are elected by the people of Hesperia to work on Hesperia issues and thats it. I don't care what your political views are, just do what you were elected for and keep your politics to yourself.
On August 3, council members Smith and Leonard shouted NO! into the microphones at City hall on the question of letting the people of Hesperia vote on a November ballot measure. They shouted NO! to letting the people of Hesperia vote on the level of services that they wanted. The proposed ballot measure did not contain any tax increase or hike of any kind, it was a sales tax reduction of 1/2 of a cent from what you are paying now. What they killed off was the publics right to vote on Hesperia's future. They did not vote down anything to do with raising taxs, they voted against the people in Hesperia voting on a ballot measure that has everything to do with Hesperia.
Ironically, 17 days later "Mayor" Smith used City of Hesperia tax dollars and City of Hesperia resources to promote a state ballot measure that has nothing to do with Hesperia and the people who live here. After he denied the people of Hesperia the right to vote on a local ballot measure that could of helped Hesperia on August 3.
So you don't get to vote on a local Hesperia ballot measure, but "Mayor " Smith can spend your tax dollars to tell you how to vote on a state ballot measure? Strange logic and reasoning so far in this election season, I'm sure it will get stranger as it goes.
3 seats on the City Council are up for grabs this November and what direction the Council takes will be determined by who gets elected. Political and special interest groups have candidates in the mix who will be representing their agendas. They will be touting endorsements from business groups and other politicians, and they will fool some voters into thinking that they are on your side. What is said during the election is quickly forgotten, after the election.
Some elected officials get caught up in their new found fame and it becomes all about them instead of the people of the community. They change, right before your eyes. They take credit for everything and anything, while having nothing to do with most of it. And suddenly, after being elected to a nonpartisan office, think that their political opinion is what the community wants to hear. The basic needs of the people in Hesperia are ignored and the special interest or political agenda becomes their priority. Lets not go down this path again this year. Elect some members of the community who will represent you and work on making Hesperia a better place to live. Its not about politics at this level. Its about results in the community. When personal political veiws come before doing whats right for the community, the community suffers for it. Hesperia was making progress, now it is going backwards. Roads will not get paved, cuts in public services are coming next year. There is no upside to setting Hesperia back 10 years.
Here's the quote for some of the comments made at recent Council meetings.
Book mark this website and check back often as I will be updating more often, as the election nears. The good news is that you can vote in a City Council that represents your interests this November. Make sure that you are registered and make sure that you vote.
This is an editorial that ran in the Riverside Press Enterprise that I fully agree with.
SCUTTLE ANONYMOUS WEB BOARDS
It must have seemed like a great idea at the time.
There was this new medium, the Internet, and newspapers were posting stories on it, and someone decided to create a forum where readers could discuss and debate what they just read. It must have seemed an inspiration kissed by the spirit of Jefferson: a free public space where each of us could have his or her say.
Unfortunately, the reality of the thing has proved to be something else entirely. For proof, see the message boards of pretty much any paper. Or just wade in the nearest cesspool. The experiences are equivalent. Far from validating some highminded ideal of public debate, message boards — particularly those inadequately policed by their newspapers and/or dealing with highly emotional matters — have become havens for a level of crudity, bigotry, meanness and plain nastiness that shocks the tattered remnants of our propriety.
Why have message boards failed to live up to the noble expectations? The answer in a word is, anonymity. The fact that on a message board — unlike in an old-fashioned letter to the editor — no one is required to identify himself, no one is required to say who he is and “own” what he’s said, has inspired many to vent their most reptilian thoughts.
So, some of us are intrigued by what recently happened in Cleveland. It seems someone using the alias “lawmiss” had posted scathing personal attacks on the Web site of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Some of those comments and attacks evinced an unlikely familiarity with cases being heard by a local judge, Shirley Strickland Saffold. When lawmiss made a comment about the mental state of a reporter’s relative, the paper decided to trace the nickname. It found that the postings came from Judge Saffold’s personal e-mail account.
Saffold claims her 23-yearold daughter authored the comments. Sydney Saffold, who lives in another city, supports her mom’s story. Believe them if you choose.
Meanwhile, the paper has been criticized by some observers for unmasking lawmiss, and there is some merit to that. But it would’ve been “more” wrong to have evidence that a judge viewed an attorney appearing in her court on a capital case as “Amos and Andy” — to use one example — and do nothing about it.
The larger point is that the paper should not have offered its message posters anonymity in the first place. “No” paper should. A confidential source necessary to break the big story is one thing. But the only imperative here is to deliver more eyes to the Web site.
As any student of Sociology 101 can tell you, when people don’t have to account for what they say or do, they will often say and do things that would shock their better selves.
That’s the story of the mousy, mosque-going schoolteacher swept up in the window-breaking mob during the big blackout. And it is the story of newspaper message boards, which have inadvertently licensed and tacitly approved the worst of human nature under the guise of free speech.
“Enough.” Make them leave their names. Stop giving people a way to throw rocks and hide their hands. Any dropoff in the quantity of message board postings will surely be made up in the quality thereof.
That’s my opinion. If you don’t like it, well, at least you know who to blame.
You are at www.paveroadsfirst.com based in Hesperia California. Our goal is to improve the quality of life in Hesperia for the people who live in Hesperia.
”If everybody is thinking alike then somebody isn’t thinking.”– General George Patton
"There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that is your own self. So you have to begin there, not outside, not on other people. That comes afterwards, when you have worked on your own corner." -Aldous Huxley
Old Chinese proverb: "Unless you change direction, you're apt to end up where you're headed.'"
