I chuckled at the headline story of the May 14 Daily Press, Sewer fees on the rise in Apple Valley,
by Matthew Cabe. Oh, the sweet irony! Oh, the hypocrisy!
$216,000 in 2016 (Valles)
You may want to sit down for this one.
What if I told you that you could work for the Town of Apple Valley, retire in December of 2015, work zero hours in 2016, and still earn
$216,000?
Cut the credit cards (McCarthy)
It was brought to my attention that the Institute for Local Government (ILG) publication, that is affiliated with the League of California Cities, referenced the high risk of credit card misuse at a conference that was well attended by the Council for the Town of Apple Valley (TOAV).
Tea Parties and Obama Phones (Valles)
Once upon a time and before she was elected to the Apple Valley Town Council, Barb Stanton was a leader of the High Desert Tea Party movement. She portrayed herself as a conservative opposed to higher taxes and government waste. She railed against the abuse and misuse of taxpayer dollars.
Auditors: VVWRA mislead FEMA on project, jeopardizing $33.1M
Auditors say the regional wastewater authority offered misleading information to the Federal Emergency Management Agency when it performed a major pipeline replacement project completed in the summer of 2016.
Bash and praise (Valles)
I have known Doug Robertson, Apple Valley’s new town manager, for many years going back to my days of being on the Victorville City Council while he was the city manager over there. We haven’t always seen eye to eye.
‘Boeing’ Barb doesn’t want any cuts to her compensation package
The latest Office of Office of Inspector General (OIG) Report
The latest Office of Office of Inspector General (OIG) Report on the Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (VVWRA) is now available. In it, the OIG recommends that FEMA should disallow the more than $33 million in grant funds awarded to the Authority for Project 828 and coordinate with DHS for any applicable suspension and debarment actions.
Long Beach or bust (Valles)
Fifteen-hundred-dollar hotel bills for two-night and three-day conferences in Long Beach — $1,500! That is the latest gem I have uncovered on the Council expense reports and credit card statements.
Seeing red in a sea of green (Valles)
Citing a $2.6 million budget shortfall, the Apple Valley Town Council unanimously approved reductions in employee compensation and benefits last week. However, that only produces $455,000 in savings and Town Manager Doug Robertson is hinting at cuts in services to make up the rest.