Supervisor Richard Scagliotti has missed the past five board
meetings and 33 percent of the gatherings since October 2003, when
a private investigative report went public that accused him of
using his elected position for personal gain.
Supervisor Richard Scagliotti has missed the past five board meetings and 33 percent of the gatherings since October 2003, when a private investigative report went public that accused him of using his elected position for personal gain.
No county officials interviewed Wednesday knew why Scagliotti has missed every meeting since June 8. Though some officials, including two supervisors and a county executive, said they heard rumors that he may have health problems.
When reached on his cell phone Wednesday, Scagliotti said an expletive and hung up the phone.
Shortly before the private investigation of Scagliotti went public in court documents more than nine months ago, he announced his plans, in a letter to The Pinnacle, to not seek re-election. Don Marcus, a commercial contractor, won the seat in the March primary.
All four other supervisors said Wednesday they don’t know if Scagliotti plans to return again before the final of his four terms ends in January.
And County Administrative Officer Dan Vrtis said he hasn’t heard anything concrete about Scagliotti’s absences – or if there’s a reason for the missed meetings. Vrtis acknowledged he has heard the speculation about health problems and that Scagliotti might not return, he said.
Supervisors Bob Cruz, Ruth Kesler and Pat Loe all said they don’t have problems with Scagliotti’s recent record of missing meetings.
“You never know, he may be there next week,” Kesler said.
Supervisor Reb Monaco, aside from acknowledging he’s heard the same rumors, declined to comment on Scagliotti’s whereabouts. He could only speculate, he said.
“Why people miss, I think you need to talk directly to him,” Monaco said.
Before his departure, Scagliotti had been active in the county’s process to draft a 2004-05 budget.
Three months ago Scagliotti and Loe comprised a committee that examined potential cuts to slash a $4 million projected shortfall – which the county now expects to accomplish by pulling money from reserves and cutting programs across the board. Supervisors plan to hold budget hearings starting Monday before a final approval in the coming weeks.
At Scagliotti’s last attended meeting on June 8, the board hired Vrtis to replace former CAO Terrence May, who had abruptly quit a week earlier after a confrontation with Cruz.
County Counsel Karen Forcum didn’t know of laws regulating a supervisor’s absences. She said she would have to research it. State law does address elected officials’ attendance. A seat would be considered vacant if an official is gone for three consecutive months, according to a Secretary of State’s Office spokesperson.
It’s unclear if absences could lead to an official’s pay being docked. San Benito County supervisors each make $35,000 a year plus benefits.
His recent attendance record, however, is the second string of absences by the supervisor in the past year.
Between Oct. 15 – when the private investigation first went public – and the March 2 election, Scagliotti missed six of 14 meetings, or 43 percent, according to Board of Supervisors meeting minutes. His attendance then improved. From March 9 to June 8, he attended all 14 board meetings.
During that nine-month span when Scagliotti missed a total of 11 meetings, only two other supervisors missed any – Cruz four and Kesler one, according to meeting minutes. .
The investigative report, which an anonymous group calling itself Los Valientes financed, included several allegations that Scagliotti used his standing on the board for personal gain. Scagliotti has since denied all the allegations.
A judge late last year dismissed Los Valientes’ attempt to join a civil case against a resident who was attempting to enact Measure G without a ballot vote. Los Valientes was trying to kill the growth control measure by claiming supervisors illegally helped draft it.
The group’s lawyer then found another resident, Juan Monteon, to file a separate suit alleging many of the charges in the Los Valientes report. Three of its six charges have been dropped, with the others still active in the Superior Court.
Kollin Kosmicki can be reached at 637-5566, ext. 331 or at
kk*******@fr***********.com.
