Councilwoman Soaks Taxpayers

Last week, the council majority did it again, flip-flopping on giving themselves lifetime healthcare benefits. This time, Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht’s motion to end the benefits passed with a 4-1 vote (Councilman Frank Ury dissenting). Details can be found in a post by Larry Gilbert on a county blog, http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2010/07/its-already-november-in-mission-viejo

While Councilwoman Trish Kelley might think she made a smart move by rejecting the benefits on July 6 after voting to keep them at the previous meeting, the publicity helped to reveal her self-enriching record. Privately, Kelley says she deserves lifetime healthcare at taxpayer expense. Given the distaste of voters for incumbents in general, Ms. Kelley is going to need more than her usual order of 2,500 campaign signs to stay in office. (Yes, that’s how many signs she purchased for her reelection bid of 2006.)

Two years ago, council majority members doubled their council stipend. An Orange Juice post by Gilbert last month pointed to another cash cow, whereby Kelley socks away $825 per month http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2010/06/mayor-kelley-lines-her-retirement-fund-on-the-back-of-mv-taxpayers . She does this by “rejecting” city-provided health insurance while on the council, saying she is covered by her husband’s policy.

Instead of truly rejecting the money, $825 a month goes into her tax-deferred retirement fund. If she is reelected in November and completes 12 years on the council, she’ll receive approximately $120,000 in a lump payment.

The potential amount of $120,000 is in addition to the on-again, off-again lifetime healthcare valued at $250,000-plus per council member. Does anyone think Kelley wouldn’t vote to reinstate her lifetime healthcare after the election if she can stay in office?

As mayor, Kelley has also appointed herself to serve on agencies that pay council representatives to attend meetings. For example, Orange County Fire Authority, Southern California Association of Governments and the Transportation Corridor Agency pay per meeting, and Kelley has appointed herself to all those. And she’s charging the city 50 cents per mile for driving to every possible get-together or event whether or not it has anything to do with city business. Without including healthcare benefits or deferred payments, she’s pocketing $30,000 to $40,000 a year in taxpayer dough.

Kelley first ran in 2002 on a promise she would serve only one four-year term. Since she seems unable to walk away from the public trough, voters will have another opportunity to remove this self-serving incumbent in the Nov. 2 General Election.