CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake
City Council has approved a lengthy and detailed response to the Lake County
Civil Grand Jury’s report on issues the city has raised with the Treasurer-Tax
Collector’s Office and its handling of tax-defaulted property sales.
In its June 29 report, the grand jury leveled criticisms at the city that
included alleging that the city was using incorrect information as the basis of
its complaint that thousands of properties totaling millions in unpaid taxes
hadn’t been put up for tax sale.
The grand jury also faulted the city for what it claimed were
“inappropriate” criticisms of Treasurer-Tax Collector Barbara Ringen’s job
performance.
At the council’s July 16 meeting, staff and council members discussed the
nine-page response letter being sent to the grand jury. The response letter is
just one page shorter than the grand jury’s report.
City Manager Alan Flora said the information the city used in addressing the
tax-defaulted property matter came from the county, specifically, the
Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office.
“At this time we have no reason to doubt any of that data,” he said.
In order to let members of the public judge the matter for themselves, Flora
said city staff had posted the information the city received from the county on
its website. The data can be found on a new page, “Tax Defaulted
Properties Information.”
A 2019 map on the site shows thousands of tax-defaulted properties,
highlighted in pink, throughout the city.
Mayor Russell Cremer and Vice Mayor Dirk Slooten assisted staff with writing
the response letter.
“I felt that we had no choice but to give this long, very detailed responses to
the grand jury,” Cremer said, adding that the grand jury report’s many
inaccuracies required a strong response.
Slooten said the report was wrong and the information the city used came
directly from the county. “There’s no doubt in my mind that our data is
correct.”
With regard to the data, the letter explains its source and how it was used.
The city pointed out that the grand jury used “inaccurate assumptions to
artificially reduce the real numbers” of tax-defaulted properties, including
not considering properties without proper road access or utilities.
The response letter added that neither the grand nor the tax collector have the
authority to allow certain property owners to be removed from the tax default
list based on physical attributes of properties, and doing so is contrary to
state law and the charge of the Tax Collector’s Office.
Regarding the grand jury’s criticisms about the city’s statements about
Ringen’s job performance, the letter stated, “While it gives the City no
pleasure in saying it, the assertion by the Grand Jury that allegations of
negligence were inappropriate or that we have no real understanding of the
on-going management of the Tax Collector’s Office we believe these claims are
accurate and further it is even documented by the Board of Supervisors. The
Board has established an ad hoc committee to provide additional support and
oversight of the Treasurer Tax Collector’s Office due to a lack of performance.
Additionally, the 2019 letter only came after attempts by the ad hoc and City
representatives to discuss these issues with the Tax Collector.”
The letter said a meeting between ad hoc committee members Supervisor Bruno
Sabatier, Supervisor Moke Simon, County Administrative Officer Carol
Hutchinson, Ringen and Flora was scheduled on Oct. 25, 2019. Ringen chose not
to attend.
“The Tax Collector’s refusal to engage with the City, or even the Board’s ad
hoc committee, necessitated a different approach to resolution of the problem,”
the letter stated.
The letter went on to list, in detail, responses to the grand jury’s
recommendations and findings.
Councilwoman Joyce Overton agreed with the letter and said it was important
that people understand where the information came from.
Slooten moved to approve the response, which was seconded by Councilman Russ
Perdock. The council voted 4-0 to pass the motion, with Councilman Phil Harris
absent.
Lake County News
ELIZABETH LARSON
23 JULY 2020
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