Is Hume Not Acting in Good Faith Regarding Stepfather’s Property?

Time for Hume to reconsider his actions

As reported earlier on EGN, Elk Grove City Council Member Pat Hume revealed during last Wednesday’s council meeting that his stepfather owns land in transitional zone near the much disputed 100 year Cosumnes River Floodplain that was about to be deliberated as part of the city's sphere of influence (SOI) application.

Hume, who to the best of our knowledge had not disclosed any property relevant to the SOI owned by any blood or non-blood family members prior to this, said he was addressing the matter because of an e-mail he had received.

Acting of the advice of Elk Grove City Attorney Susan Cochran, Hume said there was no consanguinity between him and his stepfather and therefore no conflict of interest.

According to information obtained by EGN the property in question is located on Eschinger Road and while it is not in the hotly debated flood zone, it is in or directly adjacent to the city’s proposed SOI area. Furthermore, the property is adjacent to proposed major roads being developed by the Capital Southeast Connector JPA project. (see the two maps in posting directly below this.)

Coincidentally, Hume is also a board member of the JPA representing The City of Elk Grove.

If American history or even Elk Grove history has taught us anything it is that when large swaths of land are suddenly accessible, the value of that property increases big time. We saw it when railroads opened in the American West and we have seen it in Elk Grove over the last decade.

While Elk Grove and much of the world is sleeping-off a housing boom hangover, eventually this market will recover. And when recovery comes, you can bet every property owner in the Elk Grove SOI area will be reminded of how the Lent family scored a cool $35 million for their ranch.

So if Elk Grove gets their SOI approved and the connector road is build right through the heart of the area, does that mean Council Member Hume will directly benefit? The surface answer is no, because remember there is no consanguinity between him and his Stepfather.

Other than being married to his mother and according to the concept of consanguinity, Hume has no direct line to any of the cash windfall that might come to his Stepfather.

Whether or not Hume will personally benefit financially from the property ownership may never be known. But that doesn’t mean the non-blood family relationship between Hume and his Stepfather is all kosher either.

At a minimum, Hume’s strong advocacy of the entire SOI and his involvement with the JPA certainly is tainted based on the property interests of his Stepfather. Who is to say that Hume’s motivation are not in part based on helping his stepfather, and perhaps his mother, hit a big payday off from some future property sale to some housing developer.

This set-up just doesn't pass the smell test.

Hume ought to do the honorable thing for the citizens of Elk Grove and recuse himself from the entire SOI process and resign his seat on the JPA.

As for the legal advice given to Hume, one speaker at least week’s city council meeting correctly pointed out the last time a council member got poor counsel on a conflict of interest matter from a city attorney it resulted in a Sacramento County Grand Jury Investigation.

We hope Hume considers this in his calculus.