A year or so ago I got into an ugly bitch fight with Chico City Clerk Debbie Presson over the posting of the campaign contribution reports on the website. For starters she was letting the cops go months beyond the report deadline with their PAC filing, letting them get off without paying the per-day fine. I quit when I felt she was trying to set me up for some sort of harassment suit. I also got e-mails from Stephanie Taber and Sean Morgan telling me I needed to “back off” of Presson. I started to feel like I might have the makings of a suit myself, but I’m not that kind of person.
Now it looks like Presson has taken everything off the website and requires people to physically present themselves in her office at her convenience to view the physical records. That’s view – if you want copies you will pay per page.
Council member Randall Stone has taken up this issue with a Facebook posting here:
I’m going to go on a little rant here.
Debbie Presson is not fit for public office. She uses her position, in which she is supposed to protect the voters, to protect herself and her coworkers. Instead of working in the voter’s best interests, she furthers the best interests of herself and her friends. She uses her position to cover corruption, and that’s corrupt.
Furthermore, I’ll say, the city charter needs to be changed so that the city clerk is elected like the county clerk is elected. Things might be different if her $135,000 salary, plus health benefits and pension, were on the line every four years. I notice county clerk Candace Grubbs’ office is a lot more responsive. Grubbs also has plenty of help – Presson cut her staff and took a larger salary, but has the nerve to tell us she’s shorthanded!
I see Stone has got a discussion going on this issue – at last, some sunshine in the sewer that is Downtown Chico.
Chico Taxpayers Association 