Letter: Atascadero is ready for a change in leadership
To the editor,
I along with 5 former mayors support Nick Mattson for Mayor. As a former Mayor of Atascadero and being on the current city council for 8 years and serving 2 terms on the planning commission, it’s time for a change with Atascadero politics. Like council member Heather Moreno, I too sit on the finance committee and I consistently question the financial condition of the city. In fact I had 2 goals 8 years ago when I was elected to the council. First was to streamline the building and planning departments which has taken place. The second was to monitor the finances of the city, the barriers were almost immediately put up and I can say that I have not been successful in obtaining that goal although some positives things have been achieved.
Politicians like to spend money to make themselves look good and provide for good photo ops. Although I’m not a CPA I do have over 30 years of real business experience and know how to be financially positive and successful. A large majority of my finance questions to staff either go unanswered or ignored.
Months ago I requested that a public finance committee meeting be held and submitted several topics to be discussed. To this date only 1 topic has been brought before the committee regarding the Community Facilities District. Another meeting was to be scheduled due to time restraints but has never been scheduled, probably knowing
that I’ll be gone shortly. The Community Facilities District item was shelved and city staff was allowed to vote on the motion, the first time that I have ever seen staff vote on an agenda item at a public hearing.
In Moreno’s endorsement of O’Malley she stated that she “appreciate(s) Mayor O’Malley’s commitment to responsible spending and a balance budget.” I find that somewhat an interesting statement due to the fact that 2 years ago, while on KPRL, when asked what the city budget was he answered “I don’t know.” If I were a CPA with a company and a long standing member of the board of directors stated that they didn’t know what the budget was I don’t think that I could endorse that person to be qualified to perform their fiduciary duty to monitor the tax money that their investors have trusted him to do.
When checking the city’s web page the budget goes back to 2007 and there has not been a balanced budget since then and it is estimated that reserve spending will continue into 2019 or 2020. Should O’Malley get elected and serve a term into 2019 where will the city be if this continued reserve spending keeps going? Moving figures around in the books at audit time is not an attempt to balance the budget. Moreno stated that “Tom understands the importance of cost/analysis and full cost recovery.” Clearly stated that means higher fees and additional taxes. I can state that Mayor O’Malley was the lead in not having the city’s garbage contract go out to competitive bidding. In the real business world this is basic Economics 101, competition is good. Most of us shop around for the best deal in an attempt to save money. Other garbage companies wanted to bid the contract but were not even considered. The evening that the contract was accepted on a 3-2 vote (Fonzi and myself voted no) Mayor O’Malley treated us all to a 13 minute dissertation on his vast economic degrees and background with finances and what a great deal that this contract was for the city. The tape of that meeting is on the city’s web page. The end result of those actions is that the recycling center closed, 3-5 jobs were lost and approximately $800,000 was removed from the local economy. Utilizing the 7 multiplier in business one could say that cost the city well over $1 million dollars. For an additional forty-cent increase in the monthly rate for year 2 and 3 of the contract we would still have a recycling center. Unfortunately the closure of the recycling center has caused a significant financial loss to the hundreds of citizens who had depended on that income for their daily survival. The city failed, and some say refused, to negotiate with the garbage company and they closed. In my opinion this may be at the top of the list of some of the worst financial decisions that have been made, mainly due to Mayor O’Malley.
So closing I ask that you join myself and 5 other former Mayors in supporting Nick Mattson to be elected the new Mayor of Atascadero. Nick will bring the community back together from the dissensions that have occurred in the past like Mayor O’Malley challenging Mike Brennler to a fight in the parking lot and reducing Ellen Beraud to tears at a meeting with her having to leave the room. Nick is a bright young man who has no ties to the Atascadero political machine and will really bring strong character, devoted public service and work hard to bring a balance budget back to the city. Some say he doesn’t have the experience. I can say that everyone who has been on the council, with maybe the exception of Bob Nimmo, didn’t have any experience for what was to come before them.
The endorsement of 6 former Mayors (Rolfe Nelson, Jerry Clay, Mike Brennler, Ellen Beraud, George Luna and myself) is a very strong endorsement and speaks for itself. Please join us for a better Atascadero with a yes vote for Nick, he is the best pick.
Bob Kelley
Atascadero resident and city council member
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