I am sponsoring this guest perspective and one more to follow by Sierra County Flood Commissioner Sandy Jones, who was appointed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. He oversees flood-control projects using revenue from the 1.50 mills all property owners already pay for flood control. If the Sierra County Commission submits a counter-perspective, I will publish it.
Why would a county commission want to create a major tax authority clouded in secrecy?
Why would the only public record of the commission be presented by their attorney?
Why would the commission not question the knowingly misrepresentations of the county
attorney?
The answer is the Sierra County Commission’s political revenge against the Flood
Commissioner.
County attorney Pato in his presentation to form the authority said:
The County Flood Commissioner lacked the authority to work in arroyos
The Flood Fund must be distributed evenly where tax is collected
An elected board is more likely to represent a wider range of interests including
homeowners, business and environmental groups
This initiative will be public and eliminates the appointment of a commissioner to be
made behind closed doors
The creation of the Flood Control Authority will allow the county commission to cut taxes
by suspending the county flood tax
The County Commission knows full well the Flood Commission can and has worked in arroyos
for over 80 years. In fact, a Flood Commissioner may be the only public person who can freely
expend public funds on private property. A flood control authority is limited and requires
additional rights of ways and surveyed easements.
The mere reason for appointing an independent person to oversee flood funds removes political
cronyism and ensures equitable distribution of the fund. Under the Counties’ watch, no projects
were built in any of the municipal boundaries where half of the tax is collected.
Pato’s assertion that this initiative will be public has no merit. In fact, quite the contrary, the
entire process was done behind closed doors. The County Commission listened to a short
statement from Pato, directed him to place it on ballot. Afterwords the County Commission met
for three hours in closed session on the matter while all documents were sealed from public
view by the courts. No public input was ever solicited.
As Pato stated, the County could cut flood taxes if the question is voted for. If the County cuts
the flood tax it will halt all flood mitigation for the next several years. So why would the County
Commission compromise the potential destruction of private property and your safety?
Here is why: In the absence of a Flood Commissioner due to the passing of former Flood
Commissioner Jim Goton, the County took it on themselves to operate the flood fund illegally.
Un-checked and with the blessing of the county attorney they handed out raises, hired
additional personnel, and made large equipment purchases ($600,000.00) with the flood fund.
The equipment purchases benefited the county’s road operations rather than flood mitigation.
Upon my appointment I stopped the misappropriation of these funds and demanded the Flood
Commission budget be reimbursed. Additionally, during the county’s misdirection of the fund up to 80% of the expenditure (other than the unusable purchase of equipment) was used for
salaries, not flood maintenance.
Please join me vote NO to the creation of the Sierra County Flood Control
Authority.
Arroyo in Monticello regraded by Sierra County Flood Commissioner Sandy Jones after a heavy rain, Sept. 7, 2024.