On Friday, August 4, 2023, SEIU 1021 Region B Vice President Mary Sandberg made an official request to California State Controller Malia Cohen’s Office to conduct an audit and review of Mendocino County’s financial condition. A copy of the letter can be viewed here.

In the letter, Vice President Mary Sandberg writes, “Mendocino has a troubling recent history of fiscal mismanagement. Both Mendocino County’s former chief executive Carmel Angelo and its former tax collector Shari Shapmire say the current Board of Supervisors is unprepared to properly evaluate the county’s financial position.”

Later in the letter, she continues, “In short, frontline workers in Mendocino County who provide vital county health, human services, and public works programs are concerned about the viability of the services they provide and their own livelihoods. They lack confidence in the ability of their elected and appointed officials to properly track and analyze county finances, maximize revenue collection, and accurately report the county’s fiscal condition.”

The letter quotes Supervisor Ted Williams, who said during a public meeting last September that the County “has three sets of books.”

This letter was sent amidst a contract fight as SEIU 1021 Mendocino County chapter members push the Board of Supervisors to authorize County management to settle a fair agreement that will make real strides toward ending the County’s ongoing staffing crisis.

While the County has historically underestimated its tax revenues, missing the mark by anywhere between $1.3 to $10.3 million dollars, the Board has repeatedly proposed increases in employee contributions toward healthcare and retirement that would effectively amount to a pay cut for County workers.

County workers believe this effective pay cut will further exacerbate the County’s staffing crisis. For example, 44% of the County’s road crew positions and 77% of the County’s mental health clinician positions are left unfilled.

This letter was also sent amidst rumblings of a possible strike. On Friday, July 28, Mendocino County members authorized their bargaining a team to authorize a strike, should a strike become necessary to compel the County to negotiate in good faith. The strike authorization vote passed overwhelmingly, with 92.4% voting yes.