“I’m not trying to hide anything,” Castaneda said. “What matters is that it’s not here in HB.”īuena Park Councilman Jose Trinidad Castaneda had a similar response when asked about why he submitted a blank disclosure form. “As long as it’s not in HB we don’t have to disclose and the only reason we won’t do that is because we’ve been targeted so much that in order to protect our family, and business, we just keep it private,” Van Der Mark said in an interview. When asked about the issue, Van Der Mark said she was no longer involved with her husband’s property management business and that her “full time job,” was to be on city council, adding that the family business did not work in the City of Huntington Beach. Strickland’s Huntington Beach address ended up landing him in some controversy, when it came out that he was living in a home with an affordable housing covenant while he campaigned against new affordable housing in the city.īut HB Councilwoman Gracey Van Der Mark has submitted blank forms over the past three years according to public records, marking that she had “no reportable interests,” despite campaigning repeatedly on being a small business owner along with her husband. Mayor Tony Strickland of Huntington Beach during the Jan. Huntington Beach Mayor Tony Strickland’s disclosure was 14 pages long, and disclosed a variety of business and investment interests, along with his home in Huntington Beach and a second address in Moorpark. Huntington Beach City Councilman Pat Burns disclosed his pension from his career as a police officer in Long Beach, along with his IRA accounts and house. Throughout Orange County, the total amount disclosed by each council member can also vary widely based on how much they choose to disclose. “We’ve seen officials across Orange County do this.” “He would withhold information, but also, he would mis-declare some of his assets and financial interests,” Vicente said. Vicente pointed to former Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, who was investigated and fined multiple times for failing to properly disclose campaign contributions and conflicts of interest. “We’re seeing if these people prioritize their constituents or special interests.” “They serve as a really good way to support transparency in local government, and on our end it helps us identify potential conflicts of interest,” Vicente said in an interview. “But the Political Reform Act is designed to make sure public officials aren’t making decisions (in their jurisdiction) that would affect their material, financial interests.”ĭonations directly to candidates and city council members’ campaigns are disclosed in separate filings, but both are essential according to Bulmaro “Boomer” Vicente, policy director for Chispa, a Santa Ana-based nonprofit focused on getting people active in politics. Any public official can release all their finances if they want,” Wierenga said. “As far as revealing any and all income publicly, ask the legislature to change the law, they make the law. “If someone is making a living (which is not against the law) in one city their income comes from that business, which is not in the city where her/his/their decisions and votes would affect things in THAT city, which could then be a conflict,” said commission spokesperson Jay Wierenga in a statement.Īnd some cities, like La Habra, don’t post the city council income disclosures online.Īnyone who receives a government salary also doesn’t have to disclose where they get their paycheck from, including teachers, county employees, law enforcement and others.īut he also added that there’s no limit on how much council members can disclose if they choose to. Like This Free Civic News? Support Voice of OC Today. Most city council members have another source of income since their council positions don’t generate a lot of money.īut they only have to disclose where that money is coming from if it’s generated in the city they live in, according to FPPC officials. To review the FPPC’s list of regulations, click here. Under state election laws, every elected leader in each city is required to file a disclosure statement called a Form 700, which lists any investments, businesses, property, salary or gifts they benefited from over the last year.įor elected leaders there’s a strict series of rules on what has to be disclosed, which is enforced by the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission, but there’s still a lot the public doesn’t get to see. Subscribe to Voice of OC's Free Newsletter The Morning Report Today.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |