[Dan Dellinger]
Placerville, CA – Respected taxpayer advocate Mike Owen today released the results of a public opinion survey on County Government he conducted at the El Dorado County Fair in June. Mike Owen conducted this survey to help local residents communicate their views on what they see are the real problems facing our County. Owen plans to keep soliciting input from the public, instead of established County insiders, to allow him to put forth better solutions to solve these problems as he campaigns to become our next County Auditor-Controller in June 2018.
“I was surprised to find out how unhappy our neighbors are with what many termed ‘business as usual’ in County government”, said Mike Owen, “or what many described as the self-dealing ‘good old boys’ fattening their paychecks with extra bonus money over and above their generous six-figure salaries”.
“Overall, our survey found 100% opposition to the current County practice of paying extra bonus money to elected officials,” announced Owen, “with widespread dissatisfaction over our County’s business climate, deep frustration with the building and permitting process, and simmering resentment against some elected officials that many of our neighbors believe have been engaging in corrupt practices and abusing their offices”.
When asked - What do I think are the most important issues facing our County today?, respondents listed their top issues as: 1.) the prohibitively high cost of building permits and fees, 2.) the excessively long and complicated building permit and zoning process, 3.) lack of accountability and responsiveness by County Department heads to the public, 4.) our County’s poor business climate hurting families trying to develop a business, 5.) losing local control to unelected Regional Government bureaucracies, 6.) our County’s deteriorating roads, 7.) the State shifting money from the Counties to fund special interest causes, 8.) protecting our water, 9.) continual turmoil in County government, and 10.) wasteful County spending.
When asked - What would you like to see fixed in our County?, respondents answered with their top items being: 1.) the poor responsiveness of County elected officials to their constituents, 2.) poor business climate, 3.) crumbling roads, 4.) the County’s yet-to-function multi-million dollar FENIX computer boondoggle, 5.) paying small businesses doing work for the County or special districts on time, 6.) the bullying problem created by some elected officials in County government, 7.) the lack of affordable residential homes in our County, 8.) a growing homeless problem, 9.) high County employee turnover, and 10.) the permanent elimination of bonus money for elected officials.
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Prior to starting his family business, Crystal Basin Cellars in Camino, Mike Owen served as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the El Dorado County Health Services Department and worked as a CPA for major corporations in Silicon Valley.
