On Sept. 14, Seaside City Councilmember Kayla Jones walked into City Hall and handed over a money order in the amount of $490. On the receipt, the clerk who accepted the money order wrote as follows: “Received from Councilmember Jones… to be applied toward any prior reimbursement which may have exceeded Council-approved policy, pending forth-coming independent review of prior reimbursements.”
That’s a mouthful, ain’t it? Here’s why it happened – and why Jones might have to fork over more cash in the coming weeks.
Last month, a Sacramento-based political researcher named Juan de León, working on behalf of who the hell knows (I asked – he wouldn’t tell me), filed a Public Records Act request with the city seeking a variety of financial information. He asked for Jones’ salary and benefits package from 2016 to present; claims for reimbursement for travel, per diem and other travel-related expenses; and records on city-provided benefits.
Seaside responded with 234 pages of information. There are no auto or technology reimbursements allowed by the city. But looking into Jones’ reimbursements has sent her and the city down a rabbit hole of figuring out if she did anything wrong. That answer appears to be mostly no, a little unintentional yes and a lot complicated.
“People are always interested in how the government spends money, and Kayla has asked that the city undertake an analysis of her reimbursements and report if any are outside city policy,” Seaside City Manager Craig Malin tells me. “As I speak, I’m not aware of any that was outside of policy save for one.”
That one is this: Jones signed up for a grant-writing seminar in Hawaii and a Young Elected Officials conference in Seattle. Daphne Hodgson, the city finance director who has since retired, told Malin about the Hawaii seminar after the fact. Malin’s question for Hodgson was, “Well, is that a big deal?” Turns out, Malin says, “Yeah, it’s a big deal.” The city policy that governs out-of-state travel for electeds states you have to get council approval in advance. Jones wasn’t aware of it then, but she is now.
A bigger deal is being made over more basic reimbursements: food at constituent meetings, for example, or a $12 sandwich she bought during a lunch meeting with the Seaside police chief at The Meatery. And an even bigger deal is being made over her family care reimbursements.
The city in 2017 adopted a policy allowing electeds to seek reimbursement for babysitting or eldercare that occur in the course of doing city business. There was no limit placed on the amount when the city enacted the policy; according to the PRA, Jones has sought reimbursement for $8,676 in childcare since the policy took effect. Some of that comes from travel ($1,060 while she was in Hawaii, for example) and some while she’s at meetings or conducting city business.
The point of the policy was to expand the pool of talent that can hold office beyond the “patriarchy.” (That’s Malin’s explanation – and his word – not mine.) He says it’s a way to expand the potential for people with young children, or elderly parents, to serve on council. Such reimbursements are allowed by state law.
Jones says she’s under siege as she runs for mayor against former councilman Ian Oglesby. She has community members questioning her hair (she wears a wig in professional settings), her sexuality (she’s a married mom of a young daughter and identifies as queer) and how much she’s spending on childcare.
“I’m hearing ‘Don’t have kids if you can’t afford to take care of them.’ I’m hearing ‘If she has another baby is the city going to be on the hook?’” she says. “I literally was inspired by Bernie and Obama and I wanted to do good for the community, and I’ve gotten these grouchy old men who want to make my life difficult.”
Malin says the city’s outside auditor will comb through Jones’ expense reports in the coming weeks. If she owes more than the $490, she will pay it.
“The big picture is that Seaside under Kayla’s watch… has the best bond rating we’ve ever had and there are levels of investment we’ve never had before,” Malin says. “We can talk about how much a sandwich costs. If that’s what people want to do, we will.”
(10) comments
Sir, I think her anti-cop rants are well known to you, and I'm all for a healthy and active imagination, but let's try to keep it at least a high school reading level. I grew up in Seaside, when the base was open and Seaside's economy was booming, when the NCO club was just as popular as the Ebony Lounge, when Baja burger was the spot before and after Pony league baseball, Seaside Steelers and Apache practice was at Cutino Parkwhen it started getting dark early. I went to Manzanita, King, and Fremont for my older siblings. My paper route took me all the way up Skyview and past Foomie's. I attended New Hope, and Rev. Franklin was a personal friend of mine. I love Seaside, even though I haven't lived there for years, it's home. I have watched as Seaside has fallen to an almost unrecgonizable town. Mismanagement lost the Blues festival, mismanagement has squandered opportunity after opportunity to bring economic recovery and stability to a once proud city, and for what? So a few people could line their pockets, while rampant conflicts of interest are ignored. I watched absolutely dumbfounded, as our leaders watched Silas B. Hayes hospital vanish, instead of becoming a VA hospital and a foundation to build the city's recovery on. Were their some that had best intentions? Absolutely, but greed won the day far too often. The solution of building up is another example of ridiculous short-term thinking, add stories, for what? To get a better view of all the other cities' prosperity? And when a candidate comes along with new ideas for housing and employment development, she gets cast as too young. When a candidate is forward thinking enough to set a precedent that will help other working mothers have the ability to get involved in the politics of the city they live in without worrying about childcare, she is suddenly a crook, stealing daycare from the council that approved it make no mistake about third party impetus. When a sick man refuses medicine, what is one to do? When a failing way is preferred to chaging direction then do you accept your lot? There is too much pride in the city of Seaside, the city I grew up in and love, too much to let it continue to fail because people like yourself have nothing, I say again, nothing to offer but lies and barbs thrown from the sidelines. You do not want better for Seaside, you are comfortable in your disdain for change, in the way things have been. No sir, this is not the way things have been, Seaside has been where it can once again be, and better. If that means contrarions like yourself have to be moved aside so that can progress can move along this highway to prosperity, so be it, your are taking up space in the wrong lane on this highway. Beep beep, sir, beep beep.
I must address Mr.Burleson"s absurd assertions about Kayla Jones before the comments deviate any further from the truth. I challenge Mr.Burleson to show any ideas Mrs.Jones has put forward that back his claim that she is a Marxist, that cannot be refuted in two sentences or less. Next, I would like Mr.Burleson to explain to readers who Mrs.Jones is racist towards; Her African-American father, or her white mother? Or is there another? Perhaps it is her mother, since Mr.Burleson also claims that Mrs.Jones is anti-cop, and Mrs.Jones' mother is a former police officer and dispatcher. This idea of Kayla Jones being too young becomes even more asinine as her critics continue to behave like high school 'mean girls', with the name-calling, spreading of false rumors and gossip. Since it appears the candidates appreciate the cleanliness of their hands by employing attack dog tactics, in order to ensure that truth and ideas are the focal point of this election, I will do my best to play the Pound. Feel free to get back to the people with those Marxist assertions and any other falsehoods you would like to parrot Mr.Burleson, I'm sure that's EXACTLY what Seaside needs.
I have a few friends who know her. She posted on her personal Facebook page (I think the comment has been deleted) that she hates all white cops and told a black officer who once pulled her over a “race traitor”.
I think that qualifies as a cop-hating racist.
Sir that does not even qualify for the Enquirer. So, let's be clear, you are basing your opinion and trying to sway others to join you based on a friend of a friend who saw something, and also on something you 'heard' she said? let me guess, another friend of a friend? I was prepared to see this Marxist manifesto you claim she subscribes to, instead you come with some unsubstantiated one-person gossip while running from anything that has even a hint of truth to it. Where are your facts sir? They still take minutes at council meetings do they not? Surely in her time there she must have let a little socialism slip out, some anti-whatever you imagine rant. Is this too-young-for-office racist little girl is in fact so savvy that she has exposed the foundation of your assertions, the thrust of your contentions as merely innuendo? I'm trying to have an open and honest discussion with you but you keep bringing Monopoly money to the table. I believe that the people of Seaside are smarter than you think. If you are the voice of the opposition, maybe a moment of silence is in order.
Her anti-police Facebook rants are well known by person who know her and her mother.
She says she’s “inspired” by Berinue Sanders and Obama. You don’t get much more Marxist than that.
Seaside has never had a woman as Mayor? Why? Is it because Seaside has done so incredibly well under male stewardship all this time? Kayla Jones is too young? Why? Is it because the same old recycled ideas of Darryl Choats generation and older have actually worked for the betterment of Seaside? Don't be fooled by their " Devil-you-know ", politics, Seaside is on the verge of being known for more than getting their pockets picked over Ft.Ord. Vote however you want, but if your going to follow slogans, how about, " Out with the old, in with new ".
Jones is a racist, cop-hating Marxist. Sure, thats EXACTLY what Seaside needs.
Perhaps Jones’ accusations of “sexual harassment” is just to deflect attention from this investigation.
And maybe she was sexually harassed. You don't know, otherwise they could have saved money for investigations and just asked you. Maybe waiting for the actual report is better than speculating.
Perhaps Kayla Jones was sexually harassed. You don't know. Otherwise the city could have saved money on an investigation and just ask you. Instead of engaging in conspiracy speculation, how about we wait for the findings to come out. Perhaps that would be best.
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