Duran Blasts County Politicians

Proposing reforms, Duran challenges Rockholm and other Supervisors to “lead first by example” 

Roseville:  Despite projections of $20 million-$33 million in county budget shortfalls during each of the next two years, the Placer County Board of Supervisors this past week approved pay raises for a number of executive level staff, including the wife of the current Board Chairman, who received a 5% pay increase after just six months on the job. 

First District Supervisorial Candidate Jack Duran blasted the Board’s latest action, and has called on Supervisors and Departmental Executives to share in the burdens of controlling county spending. 

‘It is the height of hypocrisy for county politicians to impose wage and benefit cuts on workers, while rubber stamping pay-raises for executives and pocketing thousands of dollars in taxpayer funded perks,’ Duran said.  ‘If we’re going to close our budget gap, we need to start with the growing credibility gap of local politicians on issues of fiscal responsibility.’ 

Specifically, Duran has proposed adoption of a series of reforms to reign in executive level spending and improve transparency, including: 

   1. A Salary Freeze on all non-classified employees.
   2. Requiring County Supervisors to submit to the same mandatory unpaid ‘furlough days’ already required of other county employees.
   3. Eliminating county credit card privileges for Supervisors and Executive level staff.
   4. Requiring that all executive level salaries, benefits and perks be published on the county website.
   5. Eliminating Supervisor reimbursement for all travel outside the state of California. 

‘We will not restore the trust of taxpayers, nor the cooperation of stakeholders in our budget process, until our county’s elected officials lead first by example,’ Duran said.   

Incumbent District 1 Supervisor Rocky Rockholm voted in favor of the executive pay raises this week, and has been under fire for his acceptance of a variety of taxpayer funded perks—including a $10,000 chartered plane flight, thousands of dollars in meal expenses, and his use of a Chevy Tahoe SUV purchased by the county for $43,0000.  Rockholm is scheduled to formally launch his re-election campaign at a fundraiser with other local politicians Wednesday night. 

“There will be a clear choice for voters in this campaign,’ Duran said.  ‘Between a public servant who leads by example, and a consummate political insider who hasn’t.’    

Jack Duran is a Member and Past President of the Roseville Joint Union High School Board of Trustees, a graduate of Leadership Roseville, a Board Member of the Roseville Library Foundation, and a practicing business attorney who has lived in Roseville for 27 years.  He is a candidate for Placer County Board of Supervisors, District 1.