| This Isn't TMZ, But Local Governments Need To See Big Picture In Bell Scandal |
| There is a reason we're following this story at PublicCEO.
No, we're not trying to be local government TMZ or follow in the footsteps of the National Enquirer (both of which have been pointed out).
Rather, this story has "legs" due to the fact that it's the loudest realization I've seen in recent years of citizens waking up. Not just citizens, but the media too. Also, it's a wake-up call for other local government officials.
This is the news, and the issue continues to grow. The citizens of Bell were first upset because their city's administrators were making some of the largest salaries in the nation. Now, it's being shown exactly what the price of those salaries was.
On Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reported that the working-class town is paying the highest property taxes of all but one of Los Angeles County's 88 cities (the other being the city of Industry with just 21 residential parcels affected). [Article] |
| by James Spencer, Public CEO. 2010-07-30 |
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| Bell property tax rate second-highest in L.A. County |
| The small working-class city of Bell not only paid officials the highest salaries in the state: Residents also pay the highest property tax rates of all but one of Los Angeles County's 88 cities, county tax records show.
The records appear to confirm complaints by Bell residents who have expressed outrage that they seemed to be paying excessive taxes at the same time the city was paying its top administrator nearly $800,000 and council members were paying themselves nearly $100,000.
"They're robbing us of our money," said Juan Madrid, 64, who has owned his tidy yellow home with peach trim on Walker Avenue for about 30 years [Article] |
| by Kim Christensen and Paloma Esquivel, Los Angeles Times - Orange County Edition. 2010-07-30 |
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| Bell residents paid huge tax bills in addition to huge salaries, records show |
| All county property owners pay 1% general property tax, along with special or direct assessments levied by their municipalities. The countywide average of all tax rates is 1.16, or $11.60 for every $1,000 of assessed value.
Bell’s rate is 1.55% -- nearly half again as much as those in such affluent enclaves as Beverly Hills and Palos Verdes Estates and Manhattan Beach, and significantly higher than just about everywhere else in Los Angeles County, according to records provided by the county Auditor-Controller’s Office at The Times request. [Article] |
| by Kim Christensen, Los Angeles Times - Orange County Edition. 2010-07-30 |
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| City Hall lovefest as Mayor Newsom signs budget |
| It was pretty much one big lovefest at City Hall Thursday as Mayor Gavin Newsom signed the city's $6.55 billion budget for the new fiscal year.
Newsom used the opportunity to heap praise on everyone from Supervisors John Avalos and David Chiu to city labor unions that agreed to more than $250 million in concessions over the next two years - making a point to note that that didn't include the union for Muni operators.
"We're doing something that candidly not many cities ... across the country are doing," Newsom said. "And that's celebrating a balanced budget, on time, that protects social services to the most vulnerable citizens of our city, that protects public safety and preserves, I think, the values that make this city such a special place." [Article] |
| by JOHN COTE, San Francisco Chronicle. 2010-07-30 |
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| Tulare County's foreclosure rate ranks 19th nationally |
| Tulare County had the nation's 19th highest foreclosure-filing rate during the first half of the year.
But that's better than last year, when the county ranked 18th.
Foreclosure filings consist of notices of default, trustee sales or transfer titles to lenders. According to RealtyTrac, Inc., which conducted the research:
# For the first six months of 2010, Tulare County had 3,751 foreclosure filings — 2.72 percent of housing units in the county.
# For the first six months of 2009, the county had 3,948 such filings.
The number of filings declined by 5 percent from year to year. [Article] |
| by DAVID CASTELLON, Tulare Advance-Register. 2010-07-30 |
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| Tulare County leaders, groups react to Arizona's immigration law |
| A federal judge's decision to block significant portions of Arizona's controversial immigration law could bring more attention to the issue and open the door for immigration reform, Tulare Kings Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Raymond Macareno said.
A national discussion can take place while Arizona's challenge of U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton's decision — which came on the eve of the law going into effect this week — makes its way to its likely destination, the U.S. Supreme Court, Macareno said. [Article] |
| by LUIS HERNANDEZ, Tulare Advance-Register. 2010-07-30 |
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| Scandal in Bell rings alarm on pay |
| After public outrage following a Southern California city paying its top three administrators more than $1.6 million a year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger challenged cities on Thursday to post officials’ salaries on the Web.
“I think if the city officials have nothing to hide, put the information on the website so people don’t even have to call,” Schwarzenegger said in a budget speech to the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Locally, Redding and Shasta County governments have for years made their salaries public thanks in large part to the Record Searchlight. [Article] |
| by Scott Mobley, Redding Record Searchlight. 2010-07-30 |
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| Grim picture: Nearly a quarter of adults in Merced County don't have health insurance |
| MODESTO -- New census data are providing a clearer picture of the medically uninsured.
In Merced County, nearly one in four adults, age 18 to 64, live without health coverage. The figure includes healthy young adults who often disregard the need for health insurance.
Among Merced County residents in the 40 to 65 age group, who are at higher risk for chronic health problems, the data show that 17 percent lack insurance to pay for treatment of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or cancer. They have no protection against hospital bills that could drive them to bankruptcy.
Children in California are usually covered by their parents' health plans or government programs, but 11 percent of Merced County children are not covered. [Article] |
| by KEN CARLSON, Modesto Bee. 2010-07-30 |
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| $1.7B worth of pot seized in Sierra raids |
| As Nevada County law enforcement officers look toward a busy marijuana harvest season this fall, counterparts further south — where the harvest starts earlier — already are in action.
Plantations operated by several Mexican cartels have been raided in the central Sierra Nevada foothills in the last three weeks, leading to the arrest of 97 people, destruction of more than 432,000 plants and seizure of more than $1.7 billion in pot, federal and state agents told the Associated Press Thursday.
Most of those arrested are Mexican nationals, Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims told the AP. Agents were combing tracts of public land in the remote stretches of Fresno, Madera and Tulare counties.
In Nevada County, “I think it's going to be a busy, busy year for our (Narcotics) Task Force,” Sheriff Keith Royal said. “Historically, there are tens of thousands of plants out there” in cartel plantations locally, in addition to commercial farms operated by county residents. [Article] |
| by TRINA KLEIST, Grass Valley Union. 2010-07-30 |
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| County sues FHFA over PACE program |
| The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors initiated a law suit in federal district court in San Francisco on Monday challenging a ruling by the Federal Housing Finance Agency that has blocked continuation of the energy-efficiency retrofit program known as PACE.
PACE, which stands for Property Assessed Clean Energy, is a national program in which Sonoma County has been a leader, that arranges for long-term loans for energy-efficiency projects that are paid back through property tax increments so that no federal money is needed, repayment costs are covered by reduced energy costs, and the investment cost stays with the property when it is sold. [Article] |
| by DAVID BOLLING, Sonoma Index-Tribune. 2010-07-30 |
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| Butte County bidding for Tour of California bike race |
| CHICO — Butte County hasn't given up on the Amgen Tour of California bike race.
This area put in an unsuccessful bid last year, but race organizers have encouraged Butte County to try again, and the prestige and economics of being included as a leg of the race is appealing to Butte County.
Raising money is a huge factor, although only commitments, not cash, is needed now. Between $150,000 to $200,000 needs to be raised.
Representatives from Chico, Paradise and Oroville cities and chambers announced the second bid on Thursday.
Representatives say the only way the bid for the race will be successful is with help from the private sector.
"The Tour of California will not be an option for Butte County if we do not raise sufficient funds to cover local costs," according to Katie Simmons, chairwoman of the local race committee. [Article] |
| by LAURA URSENY, Chico Enterprise-Record. 2010-07-30 |
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| Solano County Supervisors tap two Benicians for committee posts |
| The Solano County Board of Supervisors has appointed two Benicia residents to serve on regional committees addressing aging and violence.
Patricia Renfro was named to the Solano Partnership Against Violence. The county agency provides legal resources to domestic violence victims and coordinates violence prevention efforts.
Renfro previously served as a mental health volunteer at the Solano County Jail and as a member of the Solano County Mental Health Services Department team. She also served on the Community Treatment Center's board of directors. [Article] |
| by Staff Report, Vallejo Times Herald. 2010-07-30 |
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| Yuba County gets $109 million in stimulus funds – with strings |
| Though they haven't quite curbed unemployment as much as backers might have hoped, federal stimulus dollars are still flowing into the Yuba-Sutter region, with updated figures shown on the state website tracking such expenditures, www.recovery.ca.gov.
Through the first quarter of this year, Yuba County received more than $109 million, though the list comes with some caveats.
For example, more than half the money the county received, $68.7 million, is listed under "transportation," but some of those amounts are listed with Yuba County because the Caltrans district office is in Marysville, even though the actual projects Caltrans accomplished with the funding may have been elsewhere in the district. [Article] |
| by BEN VAN DER MEER, Marysville Appeal-Democrat. 2010-07-30 |
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| Fight blight with county iPhone app |
| SAN BERNARDINO • County officials are calling on iPhone owners to clue them in on the new graffiti on their neighborhood street sign, or pile of scrap tires strewn across a desert lot.
San Bernardino County Code Enforcement has launched a free iPhone “SBcode” application that allows residents to take snapshots of code violations and instantly send a brief description and GPS location to code enforcement officers for investigation.
“We think it’s a great new tool that will get us connected with the community, and we truly hope anyone that has an iPhone downloads this thing and they use it,” county Code Enforcement Program Manager Randy Rogers said. “We’re thinking it will help us respond to the community’s needs a lot faster.”
Officials hope that the app, at no cost to the county, will make code enforcement’s efforts more efficient and effective, at a time when searching for violators and cleaning up blight is an exhaustive operation throughout the largest geographic county in the United States. [Article] |
| by NATASHA LINDSTROM, Victorville Daily Press. 2010-07-30 |
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| iPhone app targets San Bernardino County blight |
| Own an iPhone? Want to fight blight?
Fifth District Supervisor Josie Gonzales came up with an idea to use technology, and San Bernardino County vendor Graffiti Protective Coatings created a free application that can be downloaded from Apple's App Store.
Here's how it works: Click on the App Store icon, search for SBcode, then download the free software. Once it's installed, you can photograph illegal dumping or graffiti and send it automatically to county Code Enforcement. Your phone also will send along the location and in a day or two, Voila! Ugliness gone.
Although it's intended for unincorporated areas, Gonzales said the code enforcers would be happy to forward information on unsightliness spotted in cities.
"I believe in partnering," she said.
"We all become partners in the entire San Bernardino County beautification," Gonzales explained.
"With these economic times, it's a great opportunity to embrace your community. Residents can take ownership of their own backyards," she said.
"The 'SBcode' was developed at no cost to the county," said supervisors Chairman Gary Ovitt, "and will simplify the complaint reporting process for many residents." [Article] |
| by Wesley G. Hughes, San Bernardino County Sun. 2010-07-30 |
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| Kern County considers developing big solar, wind energy projects |
| There’s growing interest in California in developing large solar and wind energy projects. Utilities have to meet a state mandate to increase their use of renewable sources over the next several years. Some counties see alternative energy as a potential economic boon. One of them is Kern County.
If you drive about half an hour north of Palmdale, you’ll find yourself in the foothills of Kern County ’s Tehachapi Mountains. They’re studded with Joshua trees, that sparse icon of the Mojave. But a new symbol is also rising, reaching its limbs into the desert sky.
Planted amidst the Joshuas: more than 3,000 wind turbines, resembling large white pinwheels. The older models are about six-stories-high. The newest are taller than the statue of liberty. Standing next to the turbines, Kern County planner Lorelei Oviatt says, “You’re actually in the middle of a 223,000 acre wind area that Kern County has set aside, where we hope we can site enough wind for over 3 million households.” [Article] |
| by Ilsa Setziol, Bakersfield Californian. 2010-07-30 |
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| Imperial annexes county land; new elementary school in city’s future? |
| Imperial County supervisors voted unanimously Thursday to allow Imperial to annex 18.15 acres of county-owned land for a future elementary school.
The Imperial Unified School District has pushed for more than two years for the newly annexed property near the intersection of Cross Road and Fonzie Avenue southeast of the city. It is the beginning of the process that will lead to the construction of a new school site, district Assistant Superintendent Brian Thomason said.
“This allows us to purchase the property,” Thomason said. “We have to go through the Department of State architect and that process will take some time. From there we will probably have to wait for another school bond measure to pass.” [Article] |
| by ROMAN FLORES, Imperial Valley Press. 2010-07-30 |
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| FEMA, CalEMA to pay $50,000 for emergency work in winter storms |
| Three Imperial County public agencies are getting more than $50,000 for disaster recovery dealing with winter storms that swept the state late January and early February.
The county, IID and Salton City Community Services District will be reimbursed the money from the federal and state emergency management agencies for costs associated with emergency response and debris removal connected with the storms, according to a press release from the federal agency.
Public Assistance funding is being made available to public agencies in Imperial County on a cost-sharing basis after the storms between January 17 and February 6 caused flooding, and debris and mud flows, according to the press release. The reimbursements are intended to reduce the financial strain local agencies may be feeling when dealing with unexpected costs associated with the storms. [Article] |
| by STAFF REPORT, Imperial Valley Press. 2010-07-30 |
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| Yolo County Completes California Solar Installation at Detention Center |
| Yolo County in northern California was able to piece together a variety of clean energy bonds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and a 15-year, one percent interest loan from the California Energy Commission (CEC) in order to install a 1-megawatt (MW) solar energy system at its county jail in Woodland. Located north of Davis and northwest from Sacramento, Woodland’s new 3,560-panel installation was completed and officially put online at a 9 a.m. ceremony on Tuesday morning. The feat was done at no out-of-pocket cost to the county. [Article] |
| by Staff Report, Woodland Daily Democrat. 2010-07-30 |
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| Solano County Assessor/Recorder adjusts property values of 62,000 parcels |
| Some 62,000 Solano County residential parcels have been adjusted by Assessor/Recorder Marc Tonnesen.
Tonnesen's office completed a review of all Solano County residential property values and accordingly adjusted downward from their Proposition 13 base value for the 2010 property tax roll.
Nearly 1,500 non-residential properties also received adjustments to their values.
Notices to affected property owners were mailed beginning July 1 of this year.
"The pace at which residential property values have declined this year has slowed in comparison to the prior years," according to Tonnesen. "One of my highest priorities is to assure that property assessments are fair and accurate."
The adjusted value will be reflected in the tax bill, which is mailed by the Tax Collector's office by Nov. 1. [Article] |
| by Staff Report, Vacaville Reporter. 2010-07-30 |
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