July 10, 2019 - With three of Mariposa's supervisors slated for re-election next year, should this not be an opportunity for constituents to also request a public audit of our General Fund so voters may also know where our revenues are going and re-assess their worth to our county well being?  Quite possibly there are obsolete and redundant items that could be relegated to the dust pile, thus freeing up funds for better benefit.

I can think of quite a few.  As a matter of fact with only 18,000 residents in the entire county, some comparison with other jurisdictions would be appropriate.

A fairly recent publication of the City of Clovis (101,000 residents) revealed that its Councilmember's receive remuneration equivalent to that of the average Social Security recipient with payment of $1500.00 per month with no apparent perquisites added.  This amounts to an annual salary of some $18,000.00 per year per elected Councilmember.  Compare that to the $44,000.00 or so per Mariposa supervisor with lifetime health benefits after serving for no more than two terms.  Are we not being over generous?  In my estimation the burden upon 18,000 residents is excessive.

Mariposa is in a unique position compared to other rural counties in that it hosts a major National Park, attracting tourism from around the entire globe.  Yet its towns people benefit little if any from the largesse such visitation generates in that its county road system suffers from execrable neglect and, as well, its residents are subject to extraordinary expense each and every year obeying fire prevention laws to prevent wildfire destruction.  Well and good, if such laws applied to long time land owners who happen to be exempted simply because no structure exists on their holdings.  Consequently a diligent home owner lives cheek by jowl next to an acreage filled with dead and dying foliage and tall grass endangering other buildings with impunity.  I am willing to wager such similar exemption rules existed in recently destroyed municipalities such as the Paradise and Santa Rosa disasters.  Why are we playing favorites?

Certainly I would be more amenable to our high priced Supervisory roles were our elected representatives more sympathetic to the plight of their constituents and took steps to alleviate them.  Rather I feel strongly that the time has come to ask some very pointed questions of those seeking re-election or those considering a run for the elective positions in question.

Lucille Apcar
Mariposa, CA.