High paid Elk Grove public employees show some restraint; The mayor & city council need to dispense social media dribble and govern
Although not all elected officials and public employees have reported, there was an encouraging trend last year among the high-paid officials in Elk Grove.
As required by California law, elected officials and certain public employees are required to file an annual California Form 700 Statement of Economic Interests. This year, it appears the previous habit of accepting gifts and meals, at least by the city public employee executives, has dissipated.
Over the years, readers may recall several highly-paid public employees were recipients of various gifts ranging from golf outings to Major League Baseball playoff tickets. Although reporting is not completed, it does not city executives accept any meals or gifts, or at least they did not report the activity.
Is this because city manager Jason Behrmann instructed his staff not to accept gifts, or is this a function of the COVID-19 restrictions? We'll know if this trend continues next year as social functions like golf outings and free dining return.
As for the city's other big shot department head, city attorney Jonathan Hobbs and his staff also did not take freebies last year. There are still murky details on Hobbs' possible financial relationship with the city's favored outside counsel where he was once a partner.
Until Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen and the city council force Hobbs to sign an affidavit that he has not received deferred compensation from Kronick Moskovitz, we cannot say that he is being honest about his ties to his former employer. Why is it with the expanded legal staff lots of taxpayers' money is still being directed to Kronick Moskovits?
If Hobbs isn't taking deferred compensation, why not sign an affidavit?
This brings us to the Mayor and at least one city council who still accepts free meals and other considerations. District 1 City Councilmember Darren Suen seemingly has never seen a free dinner or junket that hasn't attracted his attention.
Even with a reported family income above $200,000 [compared to Elk Grove's median family income of $93,870], Suen finds it necessary to accept free meals. All those free meals must taste that much sweeter.
Beyond that, now is the time for the Mayor and some city council members to quit clowning around on social media and govern, which brings us to the Mayor.
Here's a suggestion - instead of constantly posing for social media, why not govern. You promised a five-point traffic plan to resolve Elk Grove's growing traffic congestion when campaigning for Mayor.
How far along are you in fulfilling that promise? Or was this was just another empty campaign promise to appease voters?
Here is a suggestion Madame Mayor - leave the fluff activities like book reading to teachers and the school district, forgo your social media dribble and get things done. We face serious problems like increased homelessness and a spike in crime, and your social media postings do nothing to resolve any of this.
Lest you want to become the third directly elected Elk Grove mayor who sinks into irrelevancy, drop the social media self-promotion, and get to the job you were elected to perform - governing.
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2 comments
AMEN!
EGN needs to back off on our Mayor. If you think about it, the Mayor is only one vote out of five who reads the same agenda items in the same little black binder every two weeks as the four Council members.
Just as Queen Elizabeth of England holds no real power and does not set policy, our Queen 'B' of Elk Grove has no real power and does not set policy unless she gets the majority vote of the Council.
So to fill her day and serve as the ceremonial leader of our great city, who can fault our Queen for filling her days at chicken wing grand openings and other photo-ops!
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