Central Basin Directors Secured Thousands in Payments Following the Installation of a New General Manager
An investigation has revealed that some Central Basin (CB) directors have been receiving additional payments to attend meetings, following an illegal vote to put Dr. Alex Rojas on paid leave.
Since February 2024, appointed Director Juan Garza has received the largest meeting payments, totaling $14,754 for five months. This is $8,200 more than the highest amount taken by Director Art Chacon, who received $6,400 in meeting payments, totaling $9,442 when including his car-cell allowance of $2,985.
Martha Camacho-Rodriguez, another CB director, saw her meeting payments skyrocket after Victor Ponto took over, totaling $8,858 for five months. Leticia Vazquez-Wilson took $11,800, including allowances, for five months.
Former Director Michael Gualtieri, who was paid by La Habra Heights Water while at CB, saw his payments rise after Ponto became GM, totaling $7,376 for four months before his retirement in June. Bekele received checks of $295, $590, and $885 in February, March, and April respectively, and $2,066 in May, totaling $3,836 for five months.
The illegal vote to put Rojas on leave and the appointment of attorney Victor Ponto as acting CB General Manager was found to have violated Rojas' employment contract and the Water Code.
It is an unwritten rule that appointed CB Directors refrain from taking payments for meetings because they work for other public agencies, but this rule is not always followed. It is worth noting that directors are allowed ten monthly meetings, according to CB President Art Chacon.
When contacted by LCCN about the payments, Director Juan Garza made libelous and defamatory remarks. Chacon stated that the findings are interesting, especially since they happened after Rojas was placed on leave.
In addition to meeting payments, Garza receives a monthly car allowance of $397, a total of $1,985, and $200 for his cell phone, totaling $1,000. Like Garza, Camacho-Rodriguez also took a monthly car and cell phone allowance.
Garza also cashes a $5,000 check every month as the Executive Director for California Cities for Self-Reliance-JPA. Bekele earned $165,000 in 2022.
The investigation was conducted on September 12, 2024, and further action is expected to be taken to address these concerns regarding the legality of the payments and potential double dipping by the CB directors.
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