Salinas City Council has appointed a Measure G Oversight Committee to review the city's budgeting for some $20 million in annual revenue expected to flow in thanks to a voter-approved one-cent sales tax.
Each council member and the mayor were prepared to appoint a member (for a total of seven out of an applicant pool of 32), at a March 31 at a City.
Many of those 32 applicants attended the meeting, and many, even those who were appointed, offered critical remarks to City Council about the process, and an oversight committee that appears to lack oversight.
"The Measure G committee was going to be similar to Measure V, in meeting quarterly, and that had teeth," said Al Espindola, who was appointed by District 2 Councilman Tony Barrera.
"You need to google 'oversight committee.' You might get a different opinion of what is being presented to you."
Juan Uranga, an attorney at the Center for Community Advocacy (and husband of former Salinas Mayor Anna Caballero), echoed that sentiment.
"People will think they were misled if the Measure G Committee is nothing more than an audit committee," he said.
Uranga and Espindola were both appointed, along with former councilman Sergio Sanchez, Central Labor Council President Cesar Lara, land use consultant Maureen Wruck, business consultant Brigid Massie and retired Salinas Police Chief Dan Ortega.
According to a notice about the committee circulated by City Clerk Patricia Barajas, members must be either residents of Salinas or representatives of businesses located in Salinas.
Ortega lives in Prunedale, and applied for a Salinas business license March 17 for his law enforcement training consultancy, DMO Consulting. He paid $200 and registered DMO at a Salinas post office box March 18.
That was six days after the Measure G Oversight Committee application period had closed.
The deadline was Thursday March 12 at 5:30pm. City Hall is closed Fridays for furlough (something that may change thanks to Measure G revenue), and several applications were stamped received on the following Monday, March 16.
The only exception is Ortega's application, received by the city clerk on April 1, the day after the City Council meeting.
Ortega did not immediately respond to request for comment Thursday afternoon.
Councilwoman Kimbley Craig, who appointed Ortega, writes that she's comfortable with the timing of his business registration.
"Regardless of whenever he got the business license, he established it before being appointed to the committee," Craig says.
"He has years of experience as a consultant, instructor, and interim chief for cities. He's a solid choice, and reflective of my desire to ensure North Salinas is represented and Measure G funding is spent for public safety."