A complaint has been filed with the state Fair Political Practices Commission asserting the City of Concord may have spent public money on mailers that were political in nature.
The complaint submitted Monday by Tobias Lester contends that a mailer titled “Community Update, Important Information About Measure V,” was a special-edition mass mailer aimed at a “targeted subset” of Concord households — specifically, voters ahead of the Nov. 3 election — and not a standard city newsletter sent to any and all addresses.
The mailer clearly identifies “Measure V,” the complaint says, and its return address is Concord City Hall.
No mention is made of the separate Yes on Measure V 2020 Campaign Committee, but the mailer does include a disclaimer reading, “Provided for informational purposes only. The City of Concord does not advocate a yes or no vote on Measure V.”
The mailer, Lester’s complaint asserts, has the “style, tenor, and timing” of campaign material because it is not a fair presentation of facts, and omits discussion of any “bad” or “less desirable” consequences of Measure V.
“My interest is in good governance. City of Concord administrators are behaving in bad faith,” Lester said through his attorney, Jason Bezis.
Lester opposes Measure V, Bezis said, asserting the COVID-19 pandemic is a bad time for a “permanent increase” of the local sales tax.
“The city’s illegal, pro-Measure V propaganda is bad for society because when voters realize we are being lied to, it destroys our faith in government,” said Lester, a Concord resident.
Lester’s FPPC complaint also contends that the six priorities listed on the mailer by Concord City Manager Valerie Barone are not a fair presentation of facts concerning Measure V, especially because as a purported
“general tax” there is no guarantee any money would be spent on any of these priorities, the FPPC claim said.
Jennifer Ortega, a city spokeswoman, said Concord is aware of the FPPC complaint. “This matter is now under the purview of the FPPC, and we will cooperate with them fully and provide any information they request,” she said Wednesday.
FPPC spokesman Jay Wierenga said the commission gets “hundreds and hundreds of complaints in the weeks before Election Day.” Once received, complaints like this are sometimes dismissed, and sometimes investigated. No decision had been made on Lester’s complaint by late Wednesday.
Though the FPPC does not comment on specific complaints before they are resolved, Wierenga said investigations of the general nature and scope of the Concord complaint typically take anywhere from one to six months to investigate, or longer for more complicated cases.
The FPPC, Wierenga said, has increasingly prioritized cases involving complaints of public money being spent on ballot measures.
On Aug. 20, the commission approved a $1.35 million settlement with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in connection with violating the law regarding campaign-related communications at public expense.
The settlement applied to two complaints, one involving a March 2017 special election ballot measure and the other another tied to a ballot measure in the November 2018 regular election.
In late 2018, the FPPC fined BART $7,500 for failing to report as a campaign contribution its spending on promoting its Measure RR bond issue in the November 2016 general election.
According to the FPPC, BART used YouTube videos, social media posts and text messages to promote Measure RR, which caused BART to qualify as an independent expenditure committee. BART failed to file two late independent expenditure reports in the 90-day period preceding the November 2016 general election.
Separately, on Aug. 10, Lester challenged the text of the Measure V ballot question in Contra Costa County Superior Court. Nine days later, Superior Court Judge Jill Fannin ordered the City of Concord, the City Elections Official and the County Elections Official to amend the Measure V ballot question, primarily to say a “yes” vote would increase the existing local sales tax from one-half to 1 percent.
who has faith in what local government officials now?
Meanwhile, police get 60% of the city budget.
How nice of Valerie to breakdown how she wants to fund her next raise. Raising/extending taxes sure makes her job of managing a budget easier when revenue dries up and CPD is draining 60% of your budget off top.
BFF Out!
Hmmm, Adult Supervision ? ? ? Time will tell . . . .
I received 2 of the mailers. One had Valerie’s picture on it. Why? What a waste of My money.
With all the abuses of the taxpaying public that are available to government officials, it’s in the taxpaying public’s interest to keep voting a resounding “NO” to their attempts to clean out your wallet until they finally get the message.
Those responsible should be FIRED!
The problem is…that if this measure passes, they win.
If this measure were to be automatically disqualified due to these unfair practices, and the politicians held personally responsible for fines (and can’t pay them with political donations*), then this kind of corruption would be less common.
Question: if they are found to be in the wrong and fined, Who gets the money? Should it go to Concord residents, whose tax dollars have been wasted?
Hmmmm
So if a board or council has a judgment of foul play
And a fine is levied
Who pays that fine
The members individually split
Or from the board general fund …which is tax payer money lol
Can any fined democrat please inform us as to how you felt with that
In jest but pointing out the fact that these liberal boards and councils behaving badly
Don’t get any recourse or penalty or even fired for abusing their seat as Barone has repeatedly shown she is the next pelosi taking everything and mocking the general public along the way
When are you fine citizens going to realize they are and can do what ever they want there is no penalty
You are owned and they keep taking our money and get rewarded for doing so
There is no accountability
Look at concord city council
And Walnut Creek
As well as pleasant hill
they are all backed by the high powers of democrat placed judges and DA and fake mayors and the governor
We have no control over them screwing us as they have for over 30’years
They do it in the open now and take the slap on the wrist while they place a plaque in their name lol paid for by us
What’s next they raid your bank accounts
Don’t laugh it’s coming
Look at your history while you still can before they erase it 1930’germany
This much corruption and abuse of power only has one direction
I mean you can’t even recall newscum because the liberals that should be listening to the public are collaborators
But i digress
You are all for it
as you have voted for this to happen for over 40 plus years
Patting your back and relishing in your own bath of faithfully screwing everyone else is over …..
Accept it’s the children being abused legally now
I am sure all democrats are proud of that law
As well as legalized theft
God save America
It’s riddled with devils
If the City is found to have broken the law, the city empoyees must be fired.
But we all know that won’t happen.
They’ll probably get a bonus.
If the City Council had any redeamable character values they would see that those who erred are held responsible and send them packing.
This City Council? They’ll use tax payer money and ask for a tax increase.
Who keep voting for these council members.
The names change but the same old baloney continues.
We need Citizens on the City Council, not stuffed shirts and egotistical small little people.
Believe it or not, the Clayton City Council loaned taxpayer money to a private enterprise, a money-making scheme by a private individual who was founding a business in the area. Yes, that was Clayton City Council with it’s self-righteous “Do The Right Thing” agenda. Those who even suggested such an expenditure, let alone authorized it, wouldn’t know “The Right Thing” if it walked up and slapped them in the face.
One cannot believe the arrogance of these individuals and they continue in their positions for years and years. One has to wonder what other horrors they find to spend our money on. They should not get another dime from you until they clean out the graft and greed which at this point is rampant in city government.
Mine went straight to the trash, Vote No !
It’s China Town, Jake.
City of Concord always uses tax money to lobby for new and increased taxes in “emergencies.” Not so long ago it was public resources being spent by the City to push through Measure Q, which of course has become a permanent fixture, despite the self-righteous claims of council critters who need more and more other peoples’ money to justify their sinecures. And now they are illegally lobbying for Measure V, which will become yet another long-term black hole in your wallet. Far be it that the garbage monopoly and the Concord POA take a hair cut when they can pay for politicians that will protect them and take ever more property from taxpayers. Run, you fools.
The trouble with normal is it always gets worse.
I wondered who funded the mailers and the Measure V signs all over Concord. There is no sponsor name on the mailers or the signs..
I’m glad someone called them out on that mailer. Nice pictures of policemen and such – the way it is put together is obviously pro-Measure V.
In my opinion this is unforgivable. Throw the scoundrels out!
Where is the recall of Newsom petition? I have not seen any person(s) with clipboards at any major sites!
THANK YOU, Mr. Lester!
How about doing an audit of CPD and address the 60% of the city budget that they get?