Full-time position

EDITOR:

Upon reviewing the Feb. 20 Cameron Park Community Services District board agenda, the following popped out at me: Item 7. “Front Desk Position: Recommended Action: Discuss and Action As Appropriate.”

One cannot accuse Mary Cahill of not being persistent and she certainly is tenacious when it comes to hammering the issues when it serves her. She is hellbent on putting the CPCSD into further financial problems, insisting she needs to hire a full-time, benefited front desk person. The general manager is constantly making remarks during meetings such as the recent marketing workshop and Parks & Recreation meeting that they are floundering due to using temps and not having a full-time, benefited employee at the front desk.

In doing some research, I found that agencies will use part-time personnel not only to reduce their ongoing costs for benefits but also to prevent increasing future unfunded liabilities for retirees.

The Cameron Park CSD started the 2012/13 fiscal year with a structural deficit, robbing Peter to pay Paul. In this case Peter is the fire department. I believe that the GM is lobbying certain members of the board to again take funds from the fire department to offset the failing revenues of not only the community center, but the recreation programs as well.

To date, the CSD has seen no improvement in program revenues and the community center sits empty most weekends and weekdays.

The CSD has not produced year end estimates. We have no idea of what the 2013/14 property tax revenues will bring in. We don’t know what our Prop. 8 reductions will be. In checking with the Assessor’s Office, our property tax will be flat or at best we could see a slight increase. Property values may be inching up but we do not have any idea how many homes are going to be reassessed downward under Prop. 8.

During the Feb. 13 Budget & Administration meeting, the CalPERS actuarial was discussed. The grace period for public agencies to ignore their unfunded liabilities for retirees has ended. Agencies will have to start putting money away. This means that the CPCSD has to come up with a minimum of $100,000 a year to provide for future retiree benefits. Keep in mind this is only an estimate.

How can the GM even think about hiring an additional full-time benefited employee, when the current personnel have not received raises for at least five years? This is so disrespectful to the people who have been employed with the CSD for years. The CSD has no money, it is cash poor. At this time, CSD cannot afford any additional permanent/benefited employees. It gave the GM a two-year contract, which it probably will end up buying out when it is proven she is not producing. She talks the talk but it is all talk and no action. The board needs to hold the GM accountable. How much is she doing to contribute to the workload?

BARBARA J. ROGERS
Cameron Park