What Are We Doing?

No on W, Yes on V (November 3, 2016)

Mayor Pro-Tem Scott Nassif’s split personality is on display again (No on V, Yes on W, Daily Press, November 3, 2016). At the September 13, 2016 Town Council meeting, Eric Larsen of Liberty Utilities very patiently and clearly explained (again!) that charges for water and fire standby fees in Apple Valley, Hesperia, and Victorville were comparable, even though the way they are billed makes them look different. Nassif’s response at that time was that he understood completely. Yet now, he’s back on his hobbyhorse about fire standby fees, and falsely claiming that our water rates are out of control.

Nassif also complains about the amount of money needed by the CPUC to keep our public utilities in check. If these types of charges are really of concern to Nassif, he should move heaven and earth to eliminate the hundreds of thousands of dollars in franchise fees Liberty Utilities has to pay to the Town of Apple Valley.

As for exorbitant expenditures, certainly nothing beats the fact that our town manager costs Apple Valley taxpayers twice Governor Brown’s salary, with many Town staff members making far in excess of what the average resident earns in a year. And what do we get for the tens of millions we cough up for town salaries and benefits? Certainly not local control! We get bad decision after bad decision, monitored by a finance director who has a track record so substandard it has to be seen to be believed, and a constant barrage of falsehoods from Town Hall about what they’ve done, what they’re doing, and what they have in the works for us.

A Yes vote on Measure V is only the start. We also need to vote No on Measure W, and to effect regime change at Town Hall.

— Greg Raven is Co-Chair of Apple Valley Citizens for Government Accountability, and is concerned about quality of life issues.