Mailers sent to residents in Rialto will be getting a second look after complaints were lodged over potential misuse of public funds. The mailers, which do not use the phrase “vote for” but portray a ballot measure in a positive light could amount to electioneering on public money.
Such an act would violate the FPPC ban on government agencies taking positions on ballot initiatives.
The initiative in question, Measure V, would raise taxes on petroleum companies operating within the city. The money would mean more police on the streets or more firefighters saving lives, according to several of the mailers.
This isn’t the first time this election cycle that governments have come under scrutiny for either their actions or the actions of their employees while on the clock. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has filed a lawsuit against the CSU system after one professor used class time to advocate for Proposition 30, the Governor’s tax hike initiative.
Read the full story at The Sun.