Calaveras Supervisors Strain to Justify Chamber TOT Funding

This report was published on October 1, 2024.

Calaveras County Supervisors prop up fiscally mismanaged Calaveras Chamber of Commerce, producers of the Chamber Summit, and are called out for fraudulent misrepresentation.

1 - 00:14 - Christopher Buttner’s Statement to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors in opposition of ITEM 8. Approve a Resolution adopting the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 County Budget for the distribution of Transient Occupancy Taxes to the Calaveras Chamber of Commerce. YouTube: https://youtu.be/5BBRMHzDPNg?si=Rbjc8UiDzCU_5SEK&t=14   

STATEMENT:

My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com. 

On March 14, 2023, I addressed this Board in opposition of an Agenda Item appearing to be a pretext for a $50,000 gift from TOT funds to the Chamber of Commerce.

I voiced my staunch opposition to the outlandish proposal, because the evidence led to a deceptively worded agenda item and credible allegations of backroom dealings between the Board of Supervisors and Chamber leadership.

On June 30, 2023, I published to Calaveras2024Election.com, highly detailed forensic financial analysis reports after examining the Chamber’s IRS tax filings back to 2004, revealing a Chamber that reported annual operating deficits, with expenses exceeding revenue, losing between $4,300 to $65,000 per year for ten out of 18 years. 

Google: 

Calaveras County Chamber of Commerce Revenue/Expense Analysis-Part 1

or 

Calaveras County Chamber of Commerce Revenue/Expense Analysis-Part 2

My investigation, which lead to Grand Jury, California Attorney General, and Calaveras DA complaints, revealed a well-corroborated fact pattern; the standard operating procedure of Calaveras government is one of institutionalized endemic corruption borne of duplicity, backroom dealings and influence peddling by, and between, the Supervisors and the conflicted leadership of multiple business bureaus.

On December 12, 2023, the Calaveras government entered into an agreement with the Chamber, under, I allege, a ruse the $50,000 TOT allocation would be used, to promote tourism in the west end of the County… through to June 30, 2026, which is the responsibility of the CVB. 

The facts allege the $50,000 TOT allocation is really an effort to prop up a Chamber, plagued for decades by gross mismanagement and financial ineptitude from a revolving door of unqualified executive leaders, which, according to my research, is now on its fifth CEO in five years. 

On March 14, 2023, I asked you, What is the Chamber’s justification for holding out a tin cup for taxpayer funded welfare? Today I gave you the facts, putting it on the record again.

A Chamber of Commerce is supposed to be staffed by the best and most experienced business leaders in the business community. If a Chamber has repeatedly exemplified that it cannot make and manage money for itself, for 20-years, when will it make and manage money for its membership? 

Again, as I said on March 14, 2023, if the Chamber needs money, let it propose a business plan demonstrating how they’ll deliver an acceptable ROI on a low interest, $50,000 SBA loan.

My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com. 

2 - 03:21 - Calaveras County Executive Director's Presentation to the Board of Supervisors citing few to weak examples of the use of $50,000 in transient occupancy tax allocation utilized to promote tourism in the west end of the County… through to June 30, 2026, which is the responsibility of the Calaveras Visitors Bureau. YouTube: https://youtu.be/5BBRMHzDPNg?si=gkmzBE8kt3xnGoV0&t=201      

3 - 09:42- District 5 Supervisor Ben Stopper asks questions. YouTube: https://youtu.be/5BBRMHzDPNg?si=np_OIBandui4ors1&t=582  

4 - 11:05 - Chamber presentation resumes. YouTube: https://youtu.be/5BBRMHzDPNg?si=np_OIBandui4ors1&t=582  

5 - 19:05 - Question period opens to the Board of Supervisors. YouTube: https://youtu.be/5BBRMHzDPNg?si=2-_y4_caGIn6m05E&t=1145  

6 - 19:11 - District 5 Supervisor Ben Stopper's labored attempts at justifying transient occupancy tax funding to "promote tourism in the west end of the County." YouTube: https://youtu.be/5BBRMHzDPNg?si=BSfJzkuR4pBbeEoL  

7 - 22:42 - District 1 Supervisor Gary Tofanelli's labored attempts at justifying transient occupancy tax funding to "promote tourism in the west end of the County." YouTube: https://youtu.be/5BBRMHzDPNg?si=YOdeENeSVl4FkWy9&t=1362  

8 -  23:13 - District 3 Supervisor Martin Huberty, former CEO of the Calaveras Chamber of Commerce from January 2022 to December 2022, and current Executive Director of the Calaveras Visitors Bureau, poses irrelevant questions about the name, date, and projected number of attendees of the Chamber Summit and the Calaveras-opoly game. YouTube: https://youtu.be/5BBRMHzDPNg?si=72H3QUnpJ0I7K1kE&t=1393  

9 - 24:48 - Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com, questions integrity and objectivity of the Calaveras County Chamber after receiving their second annual tranche of $50,000 in transient occupancy tax funding. YouTube: https://youtu.be/5BBRMHzDPNg?si=BlmS0XxhlScy2SW8&t=1485

STATEMENT:

My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com.

Here's the only thing I wanted to hear from the Chamber of Commerce in their update, because the Chamber is hosting a Calaveras Candidate Debate forum tomorrow morning, September 25, 2024 at 8:30 am.

Now that the Chamber is in receipt of another $50,000 tranche of taxpayer money, I wanted to know if the Chamber debate moderator will ask the four candidates, of which one is an incumbent currently under scrutiny by the State of California Fair Political Practices Commission for alleged violations of the Political Reform Act, about campaign integrity issues, specific to the timely and accurate filing of FPPC Campaign Finance forms. 

My allegations of campaign finance violations presented to the FPPC against two of five Calaveras Supervisors – Huberty and Folendorf – have both been upgraded to commission-initiated complaints triggering State cases – currently open – investigating their suspicious campaign finance filings.  

Supervisor Tofanelli is subject of an FPPC complaint for allegedly falsifying the claim of a late filing being an amendment to a non-existent prior report, additionally, alleging he committed perjury by falsely claiming his late filing to be an amendment to a non-existent prior report.  

Supervisor Stopper is the subject to an FPPC complaint for alleged violations of the FPPC’s campaign disclosure provisions of the Political Reform Act for allegedly not filing termination forms for his 2018 campaign committee, nor filing Form 470 Officeholder and Candidate Campaign Statement Short Form for 2023, and failure to file Form 497s for two labor union campaign contributions to his 2018 campaign.

Now, imagine if the FPPC should convert the remaining two complaints against Supervisors Tofanelli and Stopper into active State cases for campaign finance violations, making the majority - four of five - Calaveras supervisors concurrent subjects of active State cases for campaign finance violations, thereby potentially rendering the Calaveras County government invalid or illegitimate. 

So here’s the question… Will Supervisors Tofanelli, Stopper, Huberty and Folendorf be asked to resign from office if the FPPC determines they are serial violators of the Political Reform Act?

My name is Christopher Buttner, publisher of Calaveras2024Election.com.

May 28, 2024 - Agenda Item 34. Informational Item - Administrative Office (ID # 7914) Receive an Update from the Calaveras County Chamber of Commerce. Rachel Sparks, Director Chamber of Commerce, shared a presentation updating the Board of Supervisors on education, community, networking, and outreach events offered throughout the county.

Meeting Minutes: 

00:50 -  Rachel Sparks, Director Chamber of Commerce, shared a presentation updating the Board of Supervisors on education, community, networking, and outreach events offered throughout the county. YouTube: https://youtu.be/piDAEDKPxBM?si=iBDmiOwG21zM7VCz&t=49 

16:32 - Supervisor Stopper, shared appreciation for the additional help to the West Side of the county. Shared concerns with the doors to the building being locked during the day. YouTube: https://youtu.be/piDAEDKPxBM?si=YBEfvdECz9dZIkjs&t=990

20:12 - Supervisor Tofanelli, expressed same concerns of the door locked adding this does not make it welcoming to the public. Gave thanks for the events being held throughout the county on the west side of the county. YouTube: https://youtu.be/piDAEDKPxBM?si=GiN9uhD1ptQQwzbs&t=1211

21:55 - Supervisor Folendorf, questioned if the Chamber has grown in membership since the outreach? Also, question how the Chamber will entice east side residents to shop more on the west side? YouTube: https://youtu.be/piDAEDKPxBM?si=GiN9uhD1ptQQwzbs&t=1211

22:15 - Ms. Sparks answered several questions from Supervisor Folendorf and shared Chamber membership has essentially stayed the same, and to compensate, the Chamber is giving away memberships. Ms. Sparks added using social media has been the most helpful for raising awareness. YouTube: https://youtu.be/piDAEDKPxBM?si=eimMlaDsU6KqxOAr&t=1335

26:35 - Supervisor Stopper chimes in on the subject of wine tourism, AirBnB's, TOT, and other points of contention regarding the lack of tourism in the west end of Calavears County, and converses on the issues with Supervisor Folendorf. YouTube: https://youtu.be/piDAEDKPxBM?si=KVSNbsG3NP_7MARM&t=1595

29:22 - Chair Garamendi chimes in on tourism issues and questioned budget request and if so, would like a breakdown for the next request. YouTube: https://youtu.be/piDAEDKPxBM?si=RVeYCX45k7LywkL1&t=1762

29:44 - Rachel Sparks replies to Supervisor Garamendi's budgetary question, point out she's learning how to become a bookkeeper. YouTube: https://youtu.be/piDAEDKPxBM?si=UcELwWfs0Mj4D1Ld&t=1784

29:57 - Supervisor Garamendi asks Rachel Sparks to break out how the initial $50,000 TOT funding was utilzed and it the Chamber is asking for it again, she is to detail how the Chamber intends to use that second tranche of $50,000 in TOT funding, requesting the "balance sheet come with it." YouTube: https://youtu.be/piDAEDKPxBM?si=KVSNbsG3NP_7MARM&t=1797

30:18 - Supervisor Garamendi turns the questioning over to Supervisor Stopper for additional inquiry into budgeting along with CEO Hitchcock's input and clarification. YouTube: https://youtu.be/piDAEDKPxBM?si=KVSNbsG3NP_7MARM&t=1818

31:57 - Cori Allen, Health and Human Service Agency Director, explained that HHSA leases the Huberty building and subleases to the Chamber. Funding has been received to create a the front access point which has been included as a Capital Improvement Project in the upcoming budget. YouTube: https://youtu.be/piDAEDKPxBM?si=VOEwntET2zT8CgeX&t=1917

No public comment was made on this item.

Supervisor Huberty returned to chambers at 11:25 AM.

Essentially, activities were discussed with little mention of Return on Investment. 

The question remains, why is the Calaveras Chamber being funded annually with $50,000 in TOT revenue to promote tourism in the west end of the county, when that is the responsibility of the Calaveras Visitors Bureau, who is already being funded annually with $400K in TOT revenue.