11/29/2010 Rancho Calaveras
All I want for Christmas is $1.5 Million, says county public works director Tom Garcia.
In a last minute, end of the year apparent attempt at a very large money grab we see the county looking to Rancho Calaveras CSA1 road funds to help float their budget with no apparent regard to propriety.
Although in the 2009-2010 budget cycle there was road maintenance that took place in Rancho Calaveras totaling $211, 033, Calaveras County Public Works Director Tom Garcia expects to empty the Rancho Calaveras bank account in the 2010-2011 fiscal year to do extensive paving projects with county work crews.
Despite that the county was apparently in breech of contract recently for doing work in access of $120,000 without putting the contract out to bid, this most recent attempt to wrangle money from Rancho residents is appalling at the very least.
In the report to the Board of Supervisors known as the “Annual Benefits Assessment” created on November 19th (I received a copy today) for the fiscal year 2010-2011 Public Works Director Tom Garcia states…..
“Typical of historic practice, Public Works has programmed expenditures in an amount matching annual revenues plus cash carried over to accomplish scheduled road maintenance and improvements.”
“Thus the budgeted expenditure for FY2010/11 is $1,578,199.”
Talk about a Christmas wish list! 
Please contact your Supervisor and tell them to vote NO on this money grabbing scheme by the public works department. Once I get in office it can come back to the board and be revised. Even if you do not live in Rancho Calaveras, if it’s not you today, it will be next time. Here is a link to your supervisor’s contact info.
MAKE THE CALL OR E-MAIL TODAY!
Calaveras West Blog 
Thank you Darren,…at last,…we have a watch-dog,…no more lap-dog! Well done!
We will email Russ today,…not optimistic he will listen to our wishes,…but wishing!
Thank you, again, Darren!
mn
No better time than the present, to get things moving in the right direction, which is in favor of the people!
This is just the beginning. Thanks Mike, for your response and action.
Is there a CSA 1 property owners committee?
If so, do they approve the improvement plan?
Hey Al, Yes there is a C.S.A. 1 Rancho Calaveras property owners advisory committee. They are supposed to generate the list of needed improvements and deliver them to the county Public Works Department so that bids can be generated for the work and final approval of funding for the work comes from the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors. Recently however, Public Works has done work on their own without approval of the C.S.A. 1 property owners committee and without an open bid for the work, in violation of the agreement.