The latest news out of Oroville is fraud at the rec district.
Tom Lando, who is also a board member at Chico Area Recreation District, is interim director at Feather River Rec and Park District. They have not had a permanent director since the last director was fired by the board without much explanation. The director before that, Ann Willmann, left FRRPD to come to CARD after an investigation into secret cameras placed in district toilet stalls.
How do we keep getting stuck with FRRPD rejects? Willmann got over $20,000 salary increase by moving to CARD, without answering any questions about those cameras hidden in a little girls’ bathroom.
Lando has a long history too – as former city manager of Chico, he introduced the M.O.U. (memo of understanding between Chico city council and staff) that tied salaries to revenue increases, but not decreases…
That was during the building boom of the early 2000’s. Permit fees, property tax revenues, utility tax revenues – the money was flowing in like crazy. The result was, Lando’s salary went from roughly $65,000/year to over $100,000/ year. He retired at about $135,000/year, just in salary, paying NOTHING toward his own benefits EVER. His latest replacement, Mark Orme, recently received a raise to cover the cost of his benefits share, now making $207,500 in salary, with total compensation (his benefits package is over $100,000) of $330,790/year.
Oink Oink Mark! $1,000/day!
So Lando has left his mark on our town, and continues to leave his mark on our town. City Assistant Manager Chris Constantin told me Lando still has a lot of influence with the city of Chico, I’m not surprised.
I don’t know what Orovillians will do about the continuing problems at FRRPD, but I wonder – is it time for a recall at CARD?
“…with total compensation (his benefits package is over $100,000) of $330,790/year.”
And didn’t he get an additional $9,000 a year increase that he and the City Council did not call a raise? When you add that in plus cost of living increases plus the increase cost of his other benefits (such as health insurance) I bet he cost the city over a thousand dollars a day.
Calling these people public servants is just ridiculous.
And just remember, no matter how much they pay these people it will never be enough and no matter how much they tax us it will never be enough.
Yes, Orme got extra salary to more than cover his pension payment, so did Presson.
I think we should start calling them thieves to their faces. It’s time to engage these people personally and tell them you see what they’re doing, and you’re not buying the BS.
“How do we keep getting stuck with FRRPD rejects?”
It’s virtually impossible to get rid of a public employee. The worst that seems to happen to them is that they just wind up working for some other government entity. Besides Willman, look at Hennesy.
And Lando…geeze, he’s got his fingers in so many pies (including the Chamber of Commerce) you can’t even keep track of it all, plus he’s been around forever and he shows no sign of slowing down. He might be “retired” with his six figure pension but isn’t he drawing a salary from CARD, plus whatever “consulting” he does? I bet he will still be sucking off the public teat after were all dead!