Instead of waiting a year, when local elections are held (odd years), District Court Judge Mercedes Murphy decided to fill the five-person board of directors with her own picks.
Murphy appointed the directors Feb. 14, issuing a court order, which is not the easiest public document to get nor the best way to inform the public that they have five more representatives they may petition concerning flood control in Sierra County.
A bad enough start, but compounded by no money, no attorney, no accountant, no insurance and no admin help.
There is no money because the .50 mill levy that will fund the flood control district won’t go on the books until July 1, with money trickling in after November property-tax bills go out, with another bump after March second-half bills go out.
Even after a year of tax receipts, .50 mills will only result in about $175,000 a year.
Sierra County was helping a bit, at first, with admin help, which is the least they could do considering that the county commission spearheaded the formation of another flood control taxing district—in addition to the already existing Sierra County Flood Commission that is funded by a 1.50 mill levy.
The county commissioners petitioned the district court to put the question whether to form the Sierra County Flood Control District on the November 2024 ballot and the five directors’ seats on the ballot.
The question went on the ballot–and the formation of the district was approved by voters–but the directors’ seats were not on the ballot. State law requires that the directors, as local-government representatives, be elected in odd years, when local elections are held.
In the first couple of months the county supplied an admin person to help the flood control directors. They typed up resolutions, agendas and minutes,but then hindered them by not posting their meeting notices, minutes, or agenda packets on their website.
This month the county further withdrew their aide. The directors were corrected, not helped, told at the last minute they had to place legal ads in the Sentinel to notice their meetings.They hadn’t done so for their June 11 meeting–an Open Meetings Act violation. Directors’ Chairperson Barry Ragsdale ran an ad in time to hold the meeting June 18. He billed the county for the ad, but will pay for it if necessary until tax money comes in January 2026.
The directors’ were caught in another snare created by county aid that strangely resembles withholding, correction and control. The county admin-person typed up the June 18 agenda, which Ragsdale said wrongly included the .50 mill levy tax resolution. The directors passed that resolution last month, Ragsdale said, so no action need be taken. Ragsdale told the Citizen several hours after the meeting that the county aide’s minutes from last month don’t reflect that they passed the tax resolution.
“Although all the directors agree we did pass it,” Ragsdale said, “ we can’t prove it, so we’re going to hold a special meeting next Wednesday.”
Ragsdale was also told the directors will have to handle their own meeting minutes from now on.
Creeden Coil was elected by his fellow-directors at the June 18 meeting as secretary/treasurer, and he will henceforth handle the minutes.
At a prior meeting Beau Marshall was made vice chairperson and Barry Ragsdale chairperson. Bobby Blackwood and Billy Neeley are the other two directors.
Then the directors received a third blow after their June 18 meeting. Ragsdale was awaiting Sierra County Clerk Amy Whitehead’s clarification on how many directors’ seats would be on the November 2025 ballot.
“Surely the whole board wouldn’t be wiped out,” Ragsdale said, which would provide no guarantee of continuity and knowledge from their formation year.
Ragsdale said his interpretation of the state law was that terms would be “staggered” to prevent such a wipe out. The first board would be comprised of two members having two-year terms, two members having four-year terms and one member having a six-year term. Thus the two two-year term members’ seats would be on the November 2025 ballot, the two four-year term members’ seats would be on the November 2027 ballot, and the one six-year term member’s seat would be on the November 2029 ballot.
“After that all members’ terms would be for six years,” Ragsdale said.
The directors drew lots to determine who would have two-, four- and a six-year term, at the June 18 meeting, but it was for naught.
All five directors’ seats will be on the November 2025 ballot, Whitehead told Ragsdale, due to Judge Mercedes Murphy’s order.
Those five elected November 2025 will choose lots to determine who gets what term length to ensure only two, two and one seat are on odd-year local elections ballots.
But this appointed board of directors could be wiped out.
They are determining the board’s mission and policies, but will they hold?
What a terrible mess Murphy’s order has made of the Sierra County Arroyo Flood Control District’s formation.
What a terrible mess the Sierra County Commissioners have made–Jim Paxon, Travis Day and Hank Hopkins. First they were officious, pushing the issue onto the ballot through the court. Then they were withholding, giving out the tiniest morsels of information. They didn’t tell the public this would be a taxing district, let alone a second flood control taxing district. The question on the ballot had reductive language. “Is flood control a good idea,” it essentially asked. Of course they said yes.
After the directors were appointed the county was initially helpful. After all, Murphy put their choice of Billy Neely on the board, the county roads director, who could steer flood-tax money toward county employees, roadwork and equipment. That’s what the county had been doing for several years with the existing 1.50 mills flood-control tax money. thttps://sierracountycitizen.org/flood-commissioner-sandy-jones-caught-the-county-commission-with-its-hand-in-the-cookie-jar-and-now-we-all-have-to-pay-for-it/
The fading of county commissioners’ initial helpfulness probably coincides with the growing realization that the other appointees are not being swayed to do the county’s bidding. Neeley wasn’t at the June 18 meeting. Hence the corrections, impediments and withdrawal of aid.
Ragsdale has asked the county for $200,000 in “seed money,” Truth or Consequences and Elephant Butte for $5,000 each and the Village of Williamsburg for “what they can afford.”
“Elephant Butte said no,” Ragsdale said, and the other governments won’t say until they adopt their final yearly budget, which is due to the state by July 31.
I’m betting that the county’s seed money comes with strings. If the appointed directors don’t agree to the strings, then the county commissioners will withhold the money and bide their time, putting their efforts into filling the five directors’ seats with others who are malleable to the county’s will.
The mission, goals and policies Ragsdale and his fellow directors are discussing may end up being part of their campaign speeches, if they choose to run. It’s a thankless, pay-less, public-servant job in which all constituents must be considered, not just outlying county constituents.