County candidates offer closing statements
This week, we offered each of the candidates for Countywide office the opportunity to submit a final 400-word statement … most generally adhered to the word limit. We start with the Mono County District One Supervisor’s race, then District Five, Sheriff, and Assessor.
Larry Johnston
I am honored to be your current District 1 Supervisor and this year’s Chairman of the Board. I am running again because I have a clear vision for creating sustainable County government that can provide valuable programs and services to the residents of Mammoth Lakes.
I’ve been a Mammoth Lakes resident for 25 years. I volunteered in Little League, was president of the Trails homeowner’s association, and I participated on non-profit boards and commissions and sponsored family favorites, such as Trick-or-Treat-in-The-Trails, annually building the popular “Haunted House,” and constructing 4th of July parade floats, such as the “Endeavor/2 Space Shuttle.”
I have degrees in Mathematics, Planning and Management (with an emphasis in Parks and Recreation), and obtained numerous continuing education credentials in management and finance.
I also established and operated my own business in Town for 10 years, and subsequently worked in the public sector for 10 years. In my private business, I prepared the Town’s first Parks and Recreation Element, the Town’s first Trails Plan, and wrote successful grants that allowed construction of most of the current Mammoth Lakes Trail System.
As Supervisor, I have led many changes to the status quo:
Moved 1/3 of the regular Board meetings to Mammoth Lakes.
Fixed the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund, which had drained our reserves. Now, the Solid Waste Fund is operating in the “black.”
Addressed excessive management compensation and benefits. In 2010, Mono County salaries were ranked 4th highest of all the counties. Today, we are regressing back to the middle 1/3 of all counties.
Sponsored the first Construction Stimulus Plan, reducing building permit fees, eliminating the Development Impact Fee, streamlining permitting; designed to keep our construction-dependent families employed.
Supported and enhanced funding of tourism and economic development programs, youth sports and cultural programs.
Hired a new County management team, including a new CAO, Finance Director and nine new department heads.
Championed preparation of a County-wide strategic plan, including significant collaborative efforts with the Town and other agencies.
Leveraged County funds and other agency funds, to provide numerous community benefits valued at over $30 million (nearly 1.5 times the Town’s entire budget).
My education and multi-disciplinary background has also prepared me well for other Supervisor duties: serving and chairing the Eastern Sierra Council of Governments, the Local Transportation Commission, the Air Pollution Control District, and the Mono County Collaborative Planning Team. Through these agencies, I help manage over $100 million in budget approvals, project authorizations, and personnel management, in addition to the County’s $63 million budget.
And, there are more challenges ahead: diesel engine compliance, energy conservation, solid waste, prisoner realignment, and budget balancing.
My re-election offers experience, continued creative thinking, a solid and practical vision, proven trust to do the right thing, and commitment to protect our “Wild by Nature” identity.
For contact information, call 760.914.0826.
Bill Sauser
I am owner operator of Bill’s Locksmith Service and I am running for Mono County Supervisor District 1.
My family moved to Mammoth in 1958 and has stayed and worked in Mammoth for over 55 years. Over that time I have volunteered to serve on many committees, commissions, and non-profit boards to try to make our area more sustainable economically.
Currently I sit on the board of the Southern Mono Historical Society that operates the Mammoth Museum at the Hayden Cabin. I have been elected to serve on the board & elected as president of the board for the past 14 years.
I also sit on the Town’s Recreation Commission serving for over 16 years and have been elected by my peers on the commission to serve as chair for the past 9. In that capacity I have pushed for the completion of Trails End Park, fought to keep Whitmore Pool open and funded out of the general fund where it belongs, and I helped to form, and sit on, the Mammoth Lakes Trails System Coordinating Committee. During this time I also worked to get both Measures R & U passed. As a Recreation Commissioner and a member of the Measure U Committee, I help to create the priorities and recommend funding allocations for both Measures R & U.
Four years ago I ran because I saw the need for change in the way the County deals with Mammoth, its tax revenues, and how the County handles its own business. Four years later and still no change. The County is running a budgetary structural deficit of over 4 million dollars and has $60 million in unfunded liabilities over the next 20 years.
The need for change is now greater than ever. I have always felt that the Town and County could, and should, partner in many different areas. Now that the county is in financial trouble, we see an attempt at partnering is being brought forward, however attempting to save money by having the Town pay for staff is the wrong approach. We do need to partner but it needs to be based on how to best serve the public, not the bureaucracy. The partnership needs to be based on mutual respect and a fair division of resources. VOTE FOR CHANGE!
On June 3rd send Bridgeport the Bill, Vote Sauser 4 Supervisor District 1.
District Five
Greg Eckert
District Five has a clear choice to make in this election. I best represent the majority of our community. A leader should resist special interest lobbyists, not come from within their ranks. Stacy Corless has made a career, especially as the head of Friends of the inyo, of pushing single-issue platforms for a very focused group. I pride myself on being inclusive and unbiased.
To best represent our community requires the support of the full spectrum of its members. I truly represent the most diverse group of supporters in this race. I will proudly put my endorsement roster up against any in today’s paper as the most representative of Mammoth Lakes. I am supported by businessmen, doctors and lawyers as well as the requisite “movers and shakers.” I am backed by all economic levels and what I am most proud of is the coalition of carpenters, mechanics and delivery drivers that have lent me even more support.
I have earned the support of past and present members of the Mammoth Lakes Town Council and two former Mono County Supervisors. These are people who know what it takes to get the job done for Mammoth. I am endorsed by those whom I have competed against intensely, some for thirty years. My business rivals know me to be fair and honest while being tough enough to win more than my share of the time. These are the traits I will use for District 5 in Bridgeport. To be a successful Supervisor for Mammoth will require the ability to reach a third vote on a broad range of issues – not just the passion for one.
Our community is at a crossroads. There are two distinct paths before us. My campaign is focused on economic recovery. Last night (at the May 28 candidate forum held at Rafters), Kirk Stapp announced “I’m not running on jobs.” Well, I am. Our community needs a higher quality of career choices to imporve our common future. Special interest lobbyists have their uses, but being Supervisor should not be one of them.
Stacy Corless
In Mono County’s District 5, we’ve had just two Supervisors in the last 30 years. What that says to me is that whoever takes this office has big shoes to fill (both Andrea Lawrence and Byng Hunt ran unopposed in their third term elections), and very high expectations to meet.
In candidate forums, I’ve talked about the top issues facing the County, including risk management, economic development, fiscal responsibility, and how we balance our needs within our natural environment.
Support for me has been very strong, and my opponents have now turned to negative campaign tactics. When they falsely claim I can’t represent Mammoth while married to a Mammoth Mountain employee, they are ignoring the precedent of former Supervisors Don Sharp and Don Rake. When they falsely claim I won’t advocate for diverse types of recreation on public lands, they are ignoring my clear record of balanced advocacy and balanced results.
Don’t listen to their false and desperate attacks. My campaign and my service are grounded in clear, legal policy, and in my strong record of collaborative leadership and good management.
As Supervisor, I’ll assure transparent, accountable budget oversight. I’ll use science and knowledge of process to guide policy decisions concerning environmental regulations and planning. I’ll exercise good judgment and demand that the County better manage risk. I’ll use my experience in setting strategy to foster a more sustainable economy.
We can’t afford to make the same choices and errors of the past. I am the only candidate with a new, informed, and innovative perspective.
We can’t risk electing Kirk Stapp. He has a long record marred by bad decisions that have had catastrophic consequences for our community. We can’t risk electing Greg Eckert, who has no record because he has chosen for decades to not be involved.
We need a proven, engaged, passionate and compassionate leader who is willing to work hard to make measurable improvements to the way Mono County operates. I am that person, and I am asking for your vote.
Thank you to the many District 5 voters who have already offered your support. For those still undecided, I will be out and about right up until election day and am willing to set up appointments, answer emails and messages, and take calls. Find me at stacykcorless@gmail.com, my website, my Facebook page, and 760.920.0190.
Kirk Stapp
I have lived and worked as a teacher in Mammoth Lakes for forty years. Arriving in Mammoth in 1974, I immediately volunteered to coach little league. During my tenure as a teacher I coached football, skiing, volleyball, and chess. I also served periodic stints as the President and lead negotiator for the Mammoth Education Association. My community commitments also include serving on the Mammoth Lakes Town Council and currently as the president of Mammoth Lakes Housing.
These and other experiences have taught me that politics is not theater and that public policies have consequences. The land trade at MMSA base lodge will impact the businesses on Main Street. ORMAT’s proposed wells in Shady Rest have the potential to denigrate Mammoth’s water sources. The TBID (Tourism Business Improvement District) allows MMSA to shift its responsibility for an airline subsidy onto Mammoth Lakes Tourism. The listing of the yellow-legged frog and the Sage Grouse as endanger species can diminish tourism and devastate Mono County’s agriculture.
It is the future, not the past that will shape Mammoth Lakes, Mono County, and the Eastern Sierra. Part of that future is tied to MMSA’s success. As such, it is imperative that the county have five supervisors who can fully participate in partnering with Mammoth Mountain. Inevitably, any conflicts of interests could potentially compromise future legislation and partnerships: the land trade at MMSA’s base lodge, the Mountain ownership of land abutting Mono Lake, the transit contracts with ESTA (Easter Sierra Transit Authority), the paramedic services need for a funding source (a fee/lift tax?), June Mountain and the adjacent Rodeo Grounds future development, and the list goes on. For the record, I support MMSA’s land trade.
If elected, my first focus will be on the county’s budget, which could include partnering with the Town of Mammoth Lakes to reduce redundancies in bureaucracy and cut cost while maintaining municipal services. Partnering could also include working with MMSA and ORMAT to resolve their tax reassessment appeals which have gone on for years.
Drawing from my experience, I have learned that problems can best be solved with the involvement of the people or corporations (MMSA) most directly affected. That political imagination is the capacity to see through the status quo, to see things from new perspectives, and to create new possibilities. I believe that with honest conversations we can expand our understanding of what is and what can be.
Finally, I am an independent candidate. I would appreciate your vote on June 3.
Ralph Obenberger
I have been visiting Mono County since the mid-1960’s, when I was only a young child. I moved my family to June Lake, almost 14 years ago, when I was hired as a Mono County resident deputy.
Having worked for the Mono County Sheriff’s Office for almost 14 years; my children receiving their education at Mammoth High School; my wife Ellen working for the Mammoth Hospital SPORT Center and our many volunteer activities, I understand the diverse communities of Mono County.
The Sheriff’s Office has a great deal of responsibility. It is tasked with operating a jail facility, dispatching for emergency responders; providing coroner duties and civil services; overseeing search and rescue; directing the Office of Emergency Services; being fiscally sound on multiple budgets, not to mention patrolling the county. I have managed all of these areas and I understand the complexities of each.
When I took over as your Sheriff in 2012, I made significant changes to better serve the public and enhance employee production and morale: I permanently assigned a School Resource Deputy to county campuses, I directed staff to be proactive, and I have encouraged my staff to be more involved in the communities both on-duty and off-duty.
I have been managing people and budgets since I was 17 years old. I communicate very well with staff as communication is a key component in getting a job done. To continue to perform at a superior level of service, self-assessment is a must. This is part of my management strategy and it will continue to be.
As June 3rd approaches you have the opportunity to look at a candidate’s background and qualifications. Does the candidate have the knowledge and expertise to take on the responsibilities of the office? Does the candidate understand the community’s needs and have a deep connection to those he serves? Does the candidate have the support of staff to move the office forward?
As your Sheriff-Coroner, I have the endorsement of the Mono County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association and the Mono County Public Safety Officers’ Association. I also have the endorsements of the Mono County Fire Chiefs’ Association, multiple business owners, department heads, and others.
I have been in law enforcement for over 28 years and with my knowledge and expertise, and with your support, I will continue to guide the Sheriff’s Office into the next four years.
Ingrid Braun
In this pivotal election, Mono County has the opportunity to implement real change in our Sheriff’s Department. We have seen years of mismanagement by the current appointed administration. The County cannot afford to continue under a regime that has a documented history of violating the rights of citizens and demeaning employees.
We need to improve the reputation of our Sheriff’s Department and restore the faith and trust of the people. I will lead a proactive, interactive and professional law enforcement agency that is accountable, transparent and accessible to the people. We will respectfully enforce the laws of our country, state and county. We can achieve greater success by engaging with our communities and earning their respect and support. I will partner our Sheriff’s Department with our community stakeholders to improve the quality of life where we live, work and play. I will partner with County leaders and work collaboratively toward the common goal of making a better Mono County.
I bring professional experience, leadership and education. I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from UC Berkeley in 1989. Beginning in 1990, I worked my way up the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department. I was promoted to supervisor in 1999, and for the next 12 years I supervised detectives, internal affairs investigations, administrative functions patrol, jail operations, and gang and narcotics enforcement. I retired honorably at the rank of Lieutenant II.
I currently work for the Mammoth Lakes Police Department as a Reserve Officer and worked both part-time and full-time as a Deputy for the Mono County Sheriff’s Department.
My husband and I chose Mono County as our second home in 1997, retiring here in 2010. We are here to stay. We enjoy everything the Eastern Sierra has to offer and are involved and active members of our community.
Unlike my opposition, you will not hear me say that if I do not prevail in this election, I will have to move. I am not running for a job. Mono County means much more to me; I deeply care for the people who live, work and visit here. I want to bring real change to our Sheriff’s Department.
I chose Mono County as my home, and now I am asking Mono County to choose me as their Sheriff.
Vote smart. Vote for the one person who will bring positive change. Vote for Ingrid Braun for Sheriff-Coroner.
Barry Beck
I have worked in the Mono County Assessor’s Office for 11 consecutive years, and I am fully qualified to make immediate, effective, and positive changes in the operations at the Assessor’s Office.
I am an advocate for a smaller, more efficient, more user-friendly County government. The Assessor’s Office has sometimes been described as a black eye on the face of County services, and I would like to change that perception with improvements to customer service, decreased operational costs, and an increase in efficiency and productivity in the office.
My budget goals are aligned with the goals of our Board of Supervisors and County management who have said that the Assessor should “…be willing to work with the CAO and County staff to find innovative and creative solutions to a challenging fiscal environment.”
I have a number of creative ideas to shave dollars from the office budget, one of which is to limit our practice of using expensive outside consultants and attorneys, for which we spent $145,000 this year, for little return, and for which we are budgeted at $260,000 for the 14-15 budget. All of this money will be spent outside of Mono County, and is for work that the Assessor’s Office could (and should) be doing in-house.
My opponent, who is working in the office for the third time in his career, last week presented his proposed budget to the Finance Office for consideration, and it is worth noting that the budget submitted this year is nearly 7% higher than the current budget, and this flies in the face of logic as all departments are being asked to reduce spending, not increase spending.
By comparison, the Inyo County Assessor’s Office, with 8 full-time employees, has a budget of just over $700,000. The Mono County Assessor’s Office, with 9 full-time staff, has a budget of just over $1,400,000, and this illustrates that the office has not made a concerted effort to become the lean, efficient assessment machine that we should be.
The County spent over $1,000,000 on a new software system for the Assessor, Auditor, and Tax Collector, and we are not using this expensive system to anywhere near its potential, and this has lead to an overstaffing situation that we need to address.
I am very involved in the community in Mono County; I have 3 boys attending Lee Vining High School; I am an assistant baseball and basketball coach at LVHS; I am on my second term as Chair of the Bridgeport Valley RPAC; I have volunteered as a mountain guide with the Wounded Warriors program; and I have been on the Mono County Search and Rescue Team for 10 years, and during that time have participated in 180 operations.
I have this community’s best interests at heart, and I hope you will put a Check by Beck for Mono County Assessor on June third.
Bob Musil
Hi, I am Bob Musil. Last September, the Mono County Board of Supervisors selected me to serve as Assessor. They evaluated 7 applicants (including my opponent) on their management skills, experience, and vision, and chose me as the person most qualified to lead this very important office.
I started my career with Los Angeles County in 1989, and moved to Mono County in 1992. I have experience as an appraiser in Los Angeles and Mono Counties, as well as the State of Nevada. I have also served as Assistant Assessor, and now as Assessor. I am well versed in property appraisal, the operation of the Assessor’s office, and management in both government and private businesses.
In the nine months since I took office, I have already made many positive changes, which include:
- Reduced the backlog of assessment appeals
- Individually reviewed all reduced value properties
- Improved cooperation with other county departments
- Increased training for appraisers
- Made the office more responsive and taxpayer friendly
- Increased the data available online
- Working to make sure that all properties are assessed
There is still more to be done. My future plans for the office include:
- Using all of the software tools available to us to increase efficiency
- Resolving the outstanding assessment appeals of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and the Casa Diablo Geothermal Plant
- Digitizing all records for historical preservation and faster access
- Making even more information available online
Since we moved to Mono County in 1992, Brenda and I have been active in many community organizations such as square dance clubs and the Northern Mono Chamber of Commerce. I am currently serving as the Planning Chief for the Antelope Valley Community Emergency Response Team.
When you consider my experience and accomplishments, I am sure you will agree the Board of Supervisors made the right choice. I am FULLY committed to Mono County and the Assessor’s Office, and would like to continue serving as Assessor.
On June 3rd, please vote to elect Bob Musil as Mono County Assessor.
