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Extracted from Consolidated Report

This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.

Mono County Grand Jury • 2017-2018

Investigation of potential conflicts of interests of certain members of the Mammoth Lakes Town Council

Published: June 06, 2017 47 pages

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⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.

⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.

Findings 5 findings

- The Mono County Registrar of Voters Office was generally unpre- pared, due to the lack of experience of its leadership, for dealing with the complexities of the June 2016 primary, and November 2016 general elec- tions.

- The Mono County Clerk/Recorder/Registrar of Voters who was in charge of conducting the June 2016 primary and November 2016 general elections, while being an honest, experienced, dedicated, and reflective county administrator, did not have the skill set - organization, delegation of duties, careful attention to detail - that a complex and multi-faceted depart- ment requires for accurately conducting its business, especially during pri- mary and general elections.

- Mono County could lobby the state for voting legislation in California which could expand the number of citizens able to cast absentee ballots during primary or general elections from 1,000 to 10,000. Mono County could also choose to opt-in by 2020 to new legislation which provides for two general voting centers within the county with extended voting days. The adoption of either of these measures would allow for greater voting op- portunities and fewer costs to Mono County.

- Mono County's voting machines are obsolete and need to be replaced. There should be enough voting machines so that each precinct in Mam- moth Lakes has a dedicated voting machine.

- Mono County's Registrar of Voters Office needs to conduct additional voter education and outreach to eliminate confusion during elections. Mono County's Registrar of Voters Office also needs to ensure that clearly written and accurate sample and absentee ballots are prepared, distrib- uted, and received by the county's voters in a timely manner. The Mono County Registrar of Voters Office needs to be in close contact with the Mammoth Lakes Town Clerk, and any other pertinent local officials to en- sure that candidates for office submit petitions of office in a timely manner with enough opportunity for voter signatures to be verified prior to the dead- line.

Recommendations 5

R1

- Staff within the office of the Registrar of Voters should receive conti- nuing training and education in the efficient use of new state voting soft- ware. Ongoing staff development should be conducted regarding election protocol and procedures. Mono County's internal election procedure ma- nuals should be updated and distributed to relevant staff as needed. The office should hire additional skilled personnel to help them conduct each election. Additional staff levels during election periods should be determi- ned by the nature and demands of each particular election. Action: Clerk/Recorder/Registrar of Voters Timeframe: 6 months
R2

- Mono County should appoint an administrator to be Clerk/Recor- der/Registrar of Voters who has experience in conducting elections, and who also has a skill set with high levels of organization, delegation, and ca- reful attention to details. This individual should also strive to maintain long- term stability and morale within the department and to employ and train such skilled staff as are necessary to conduct the many diverse duties and functions of the Clerk/Recorder/Registrar of Voters offices. Action: The initial action of appointing a new Clerk/Recorder/Registrar of Voters was taken by the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Mono County in early 2017. The Mono County CAO should monitor the offices of the Clerk/Recorder/Registrar of Voters to verify that a reorganization and updating of files, and policy/procedure manuals has been undertaken, and that newly hired personal receive the training they need to be effective in their multi-departmental setting. Timeframe: 9 months
R3

- The Mono County Board of Supervisors and the Registrar of Voters should carefully research new state legislation and voting initiatives to de- termine whether Mono County might take advantage of more flexible regu- lations regarding the number of voters in an area who may cast their ballots via absentee ballot and/or create several general election centers which are open for extended days to maximize voting opportunities and reduce costs. Action: Mono County Board of Supervisors, Mono County Chief Administra- tive Officer, Registrar of Voters Timeframe: 6 months
R4

- After carefully researching and reviewing new voting legislation and initiatives, the Board of Supervisors of Mono County should budget suffi- cient funds to purchase new voting machines - consistent with projected fu- ture needs and election methods. Action: Mono County Board of Supervisors, Mono County Chief Administra- tive Officer Timeframe: 6 months
R5

- The Mono County Registrar of Voters needs to clearly communicate to Mono County voters information regarding State of California Voter Regis- tration requirements, online voter signature requirements, and prospective elected-official voter petition rules. All sample and absentee ballots, along with measure/initiative arguments, need to be accurate and accompanied by clear instructions. These documents should never be proofread by only one person. Mono County's online Elections Office website needs to be updated and have accurate information. Instructions on absentee and sample ballots should match the information provided on the Mono County Elections Office website and should be in accordance with state law. There should be clear and ongoing communication between satellite offices, such as the Town of Mammoth Lakes Town Clerk, and the Registrar of Voters office regarding timelines for the submission of candidate petitions, the veri- fication of voter signatures, and the precise number of candidates who can be voted for on a given election. . Action: Registrar of Voters Timeframe: 6 months Mono County Grand Jury for the Year 2016-2017 Investigation #2 Town of Mammoth Lakes Conflict of Interest Final Report by Grand Jury Investigative Committee Introduction: The Grand Jury had a concern about actual or perceived conflicts of inter- est among council members for the Town of Mammoth Lakes. The Grand Jury became aware of a citizen complaint which had been filed against a current Mammoth Lakes Town Council Member and a former Mammoth Lakes Town Council Member. The complainant was concerned about two issues. One issue was that the council members' Form 700's omitted busi- ness holdings, leases, and spousal information. These businesses are lo- cated within The Village area in Mammoth Lakes. The other issue was that the two Town Council members had a potential conflict of interest. Both Council members cited in the complaint had participated in discussions, and voted, to support a parking lot to help ease congestion in the area sur- rounding The Village. There is a concern that the vote for the parking lot constituted either an actual or perceived conflict of interest since increased parking around the Village could arguably bring additional customers into the businesses which were owned by the above-mentioned town council members, thus providing them with a financial gain. Background: The FPPC states: "If a decision may have a financial impact or effect on any of the foregoing interests, an official is disqualified from governmental decision if the following two conditions are met: The financial impact or effect is foreseeable, and