Did you know that Brea is just one of six Orange County cities that elects a city treasurer?
The other five are Placentia, Orange, San Clemente, Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach.
According to Brea Deputy City Manager Kristin Griffith, “The position does not have authority over the buying and selling of investments.” She added that the city treasurer does not have any authority over the budget and is a member of the city’s Investment Advisory Committee.
Some of the elected city treasurers in Orange County are handsomely compensated, such as Laguna Beach where their elected city treasurer annually receives total compensation (with retirement and health contributions) of $148,176 and Huntington Beach’s receives $101,942. The other beach city with an elected treasurer is San Clemente, where the compensation is $5,747. In Placentia where $14,429 is received annually by their city treasurer who, according to the city’s website, is also employed elsewhere. Shocked me too.
In Brea the elected city treasurer earns $600 annually. In Orange, the city charter funds the position at $365 a month, but the elected city treasurer chose not to take the compensation.
There’s little doubt the two candidates on the November ballot in Brea want the job for the big bucks. So why do they want the job?
To find out, I asked this question to both candidates and told them their responses would be published in my column in the order received.
The question: Why do you want the position and what do you hope to accomplish as City Treasurer? Here are their responses.
Incumbent Candidate Denise Eby:
“I am honored to serve as your city treasurer since 2020. I have strived to increase transparency by instituting an annual treasurer’s report on Brea’s fiscal health. I will continue to work with the Investment Advisory Committee to manage, preserve and protect Brea’s funds while seeking to produce predictable and managed returns. I will also continue to ensure that all city policies and procedures are followed to protect and preserve your tax dollars.
My professional career spans 34 years of complex financial analyses across a variety of industries to manage a risk portfolio of nearly $1 billion in surety bonds. I understand the ebbs and flows of the financial markets, business cycles, leverage and cash flow.
I will remain a treasurer that is transparent, independent and accountable – not a politician. I will strive to achieve the strongest financial results for Brea while maintaining our AA investment grade rating.”
Candidate Sean Thomas:
“I decided to run for Brea city treasurer because I am concerned that the people of Brea require and demand that the treasurer be independent of any politician or group. Brea’s incumbent treasurer is very closely tied to a sitting member of the Brea City Council. So closely in fact, that her campaign manager is the wife of the council member. This does not enhance the stature of the position and does not reflect positively upon the city of Brea.
As treasurer I will work diligently to protect, preserve and maintain intact cash, investments and other assets placed in trust with me on behalf of the residents and not any ambitious politician. I will always keep in mind that this is an oversight position and not a policy-making position. I will work with the entire council as outlined in the official treasurer job description.”
Eby confirmed Councilmember Steve Vargas’s wife was helping her campaign.
“She has become a friend as so many Breans have become,” Councilmember Vargas said, “because of the mutual respect and admiration we share as fellow citizens. I continue to be disappointed in those who think being friends with a former mayor, a retired military officer deployed five times since 9/11 and (a)civil servant for the past 10 years is something to be ashamed about.”
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Something you can be a member of is Brea’s Inner Coastal Cleanup Day event from 7 to 11 a.m. Sept. 21 at the Brea Creek Channel. Meet on the lower level of Brea Downtown Parking Structure 2. Register at CityofBrea.net.
After that if you are still in the clean-up mood, join the Friends of the Tracks from 9 a.m. to noon on Sept. 28 at the Tracks of Brea at Randolph Street to pick up leaves and trash on the trail. For more info: friendsofthetracks@gmail.com.
Terri Daxon is a freelance writer and the owner of Daxon Marketing Communications. She gives her perspective on Brea issues twice a month. Contact her at daxoncomm@gmail.com.
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