Spending taxpayer cash to persuade taxpayers to pay extra taxes — it’s a California specialty.
However it appears Nevada County went too far because the state’s political watchdogs discovered the Lake Tahoe-area jurisdiction spent greater than $34,000 in taxpayer cash making an attempt to persuade residents to boost their very own taxes — and now that failed marketing campaign is poised to value county taxpayers one other $31,500.
California’s Truthful Political Practices Fee is scheduled to vote Aug. 20 on a proposed settlement stemming from Nevada County’s promotion of Measure V, a 2022 poll measure that may have raised the county gross sales tax by half a share level for 10 years.
“I discover it deeply ironic that the federal government would use taxpayer {dollars} to marketing campaign for growing taxes on these exact same taxpayers,” Nevada County Republican Occasion Chairman Mac Younger informed The California Submit.
“Public funds belong to the folks, and they need to by no means be used to influence the general public to offer the federal government much more of their cash.”
Measure V was pitched as a technique to generate roughly $12 million yearly for wildfire prevention, emergency providers and catastrophe preparedness. However voters weren’t satisfied.
The measure acquired simply 48.41% of the vote and failed — regardless of Nevada County spending $34,614 in public funds on two mailers that state regulators decided crossed the road from informing residents into political advocacy.
The primary mailer landed within the mailboxes of 33,351 residents in October 2022 at a value of $17,708 and touted Measure V as “attentive to neighborhood priorities,” together with stopping wildfires, enhancing evacuation routes, enhancing emergency communications and serving to low-income seniors and folks with disabilities.
However regulators discovered the county buried the much less engaging half — the half-percent gross sales tax hike — within the smallest font whereas emphasizing the measure’s advantages.
“By emphasizing solely the positives whereas obscuring the downsides (like a hidden tax enhance), the communication turns into a type of advocacy prone to persuade the reader, not objectively inform them,” FPPC investigators concluded.
Even a disclaimer stating that Nevada County didn’t advocate a sure or no vote wasn’t sufficient to maintain the mailer on the proper aspect of state regulation, regulators stated.
The county tried once more later that month, spending one other $16,906 to ship 33,101 residents a second mailer. It prominently warned that “92% of Nevada County residents dwell in excessive or very excessive hearth hazard severity zones” earlier than touting Measure V as a method to enhance evacuation routes and get residents out safely throughout emergencies.
Regulators concluded that mailer additionally promoted the measure’s advantages whereas minimizing the tax enhance and different potential downsides.
The FPPC charged Nevada County with seven violations: two counts of prohibited campaign-related mass mailings at public expense, two disclosure violations, one rely for failing to well timed file a semiannual marketing campaign assertion and two counts for failing to well timed file 24-hour impartial expenditure experiences.
Regulators characterised the conduct as carrying a “excessive diploma of public hurt,” saying taxpayer-funded efforts to affect voters threaten the integrity of elections.
“Right here, the County supported the passage of an area measure utilizing $34,614 in public funds,” the FPPC wrote. “The County influenced the election with the Mailers, however Measure V failed.”
County officers didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon the unlawful mailers and the price to taxpayers on the back and front finish.
Nevada County is agreeing to a $31,500 penalty — $4,500 for every violation — and filed corrective marketing campaign experiences as a part of the settlement. The proposed penalty is scheduled to be finalized on Aug. 20.
County Republicans stated they intend to maintain a detailed watch on future county tax measures.
“We’ll stay vigilant and proceed serving as Nevada County’s watchdog for good governance, transparency, and accountability,” Younger stated.
