On July 22, 2025, the Nevada County Board of Supervisors quietly pulled Agenda Item SR 25-1940 from its meeting agenda without explanation.

Highlighting the growing disparity and corruption within the Soviet system, Yeltsin criticized the ruling officials for prioritizing their own privileges and luxuries over the well-being of everyday citizens.

We have been here for a week, and our initial impressions are that Moscow is very clean, hospitable, and moderately unaffected by Western sanctions.

Somehow, our top city executive now earns more than $280,000 a year in total compensation — a sum typically reserved for managers of cities 10 to 20 times our size. How did we get here?

“Critics have accused county officials of misleading the public. County Counsel Kit Elliott claimed the resolution would not lead to property loss… However, Treasurer-Tax Collector Michelle Bodley corrected the record, confirming that unpaid special assessments on the tax roll could lead to a tax auction by 2031 if the resolution passes.”

“The BBB establishes a $50 billion Rural Hospital Fund – up from $25 billion – specifically designed to support health providers in rural areas and provide a safety net against any loss of Medicaid funds.”

Culture matters.

Sal Albert asks the Board of Supervisors not to let Agenda Item 27 take away the public’s right to choose their Auditor-Controller.

“The County’s pension funding has plummeted from 76% in 2019 to just 62.8% today, with unfunded liabilities soaring to more than $223 million. This catastrophic failure is the direct result of repeated inaction and neglect.”

Yeltsin’s actions post-coup raise questions about Clinton’s assumptions.

Supervisor Robb Tucker cast the only dissenting vote on a $415.5 million county budget—a budget that exceeds projected revenues by approximately $24 million.

As the Nevada County Board of Supervisors considers a proposed $415.5 million budget for FY 2025–26, it is our civic duty to confront a troubling truth: this budget is not balanced, and pretending otherwise puts our county’s financial credibility at serious risk.

Nevada Union Resolution 22/24-25 was irresponsible—not because of its intent, but because of its construction and timing. It brought national political tension into local schools still reeling from pandemic disruption. Rather than uniting the community, this resolution deepened divides and stirred controversy without offering a path forward. It was a knee-jerk response to national headlines, not a thoughtful reflection of local needs.

Governor Newsom has released his budget for the upcoming fiscal year with $321.9 billion of total spending. This constitutes budget growth of over $100 billion since 2019-20 at the beginning of his term.

Nevada County stands at a critical fiscal crossroads. As labor costs continue to rise, state and federal funding declines, and essential services come under increasing pressure, it is time to face the uncomfortable truth: Nevada County residents are paying twice for leadership—and getting half the results.

Nevada County Board of Supervisors must correct past mistakes by burdening taxpayers with excessive compensation packages and delayed fiscal reforms. We have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to rebuild our county government that is leaner, more responsive, and focused squarely on delivering essential services with transparency and fiscally conservative prudence.

Here are some real-life stories that show how one can lie with data, and how to think critically about the statistics presented to you.

Two terms—eight years—is more than enough time for a supervisor to make a meaningful impact. If someone can’t accomplish their goals in that time, it may be time to let someone else try.

Peter Marks exited the FDA with a veiled threat against the American public. In an April 4, 2025, Marks told his interviewer “At any given time, there are many, many viruses that could come, things like Ebola and others that could be very dangerous to our country. We had a group that was prepared to deal with those. Additionally, I can’t go into the details, but there are manmade threats that we were prepared to deal with.”

Nevada County governance thrives only when it operates on trust — trust that staff are forthright, that transparency is not feared but embraced, and that accountability is a tool for improvement, not a weapon to be avoided. Senior county officials must resist the easy temptation to rationalize dishonesty for the sake of short-term gains.