Editor, Manteca Bulletin,

The San Joaquin County Mosquito & Vector Control District is governed by a nonelected, part-time Board of Trustees, and the agency is funded through property taxes and special benefit assessments. Each of the seven cities in San Joaquin County appoints one trustee and the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors appoints four trustees to represent the unincorporated areas of the county.

Trustees meet each month and they receive a per-meeting stipend of $100. However, the San Joaquin Taxpayers Association discovered that the trustees had, in fact, voted on July 21, 2009, to approve health insurance benefits for themselves that are normally reserved for full-time employees.  It is unconscionable for taxpayers to be expected to bear the cost of retirement, health insurance and other benefits for part-time appointed individuals.  

Because of public interest and local media coverage on such a waste of taxpayer money, followed by a San Joaquin County Grand Jury report, the district’s attorney asked the trustees to revisit the issue. Most recently, the matter was discussed at the District’s regular meeting on Jan. 21. Several trustees spoke in favor of continuing the benefit and some spoke against it.

 The trustees will again revisit the issue at their next meeting on March 17, which is open to all county residents.  We are hopeful that they will vote to discontinue the benefits and end this outrageous betrayal of public trust. 

David Renison, President
San Joaquin County 
Taxpayers Association, Inc.
www.sjtax.org