Vallecito, CA…An enthusiastic crowd came together at the courtyard of Lookout Tower House in Vallecito for an early sunset dinner with speakers and recognition awards. The panoramic mountain view made it the perfect place for Calaveras County Taxpayers Association (CCTA) on Saturday August 29 to hold its seventh annual meeting and barbeque. The time for gathering was heartily announced by Jay Grimstead’s bugle reveille.

Each year, CCTA selects a noteworthy person to be recognized for Excellence in Public Service. This year, there were two such individuals: Joel Metzger, Customer Relations Manager/Public Information Officer for the Calaveras County Water District (CCWD) and Sgt. Wade Whitney, Sheriff Investigator with the Calaveras County Sheriff Department. District 3 Supervisor Michael Oliveira also presented certificates of recognition to each from Assemblyman Frank Bigelow and Senator Tom Berryhill. This was particularly enjoyable for Oliveira, he said, because he has known each of these recipients for several years and even worked with Whitney at the Sheriff Department.

Joel Metzger was recognized for “standing firm for Calaveras ratepayers and leading a team in a successful effort to reduce state-mandated water conservation by half.” Upon receiving the award, Metzger spoke of the team at CCWD and how they worked together to achieve success in negotiations with the State Water Resources Control Board.

Calaveras County Sheriff Gary Kuntz introduced Whitney and spoke of what he has achieved within the Sheriff’s Department Office. Whitney received an award “in recognition of his outstanding record solving serious crimes against people and property in Calaveras County.”

After receiving his award, Metzger participated in a different part of the program as moderator for a panel of public officials. After introducing themselves and describing what their duties are, County Clerk/Recorder Rebecca Turner, Assessor Leslie Davis, and Auditor/Controller Rebecca Callen covered current topics. The panel gave details with clarity and humor in its interaction with audience questions.

Hard-hitting points about the fourth consecutive year of drought were emphasized in a short speech by CCWD District 4 Director Dennis Mills. As an historical background, he recommended reading “The Stanislaus-The Struggle for a River” and then perhaps find a comparison from that time to the current approach regarding the Mokelumne River.

David Wolfe, Legislative Director and Ryan Cogdill, Attorney, both Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association (HJTA) representatives, joined for a discussion of tax issues, including the Fire Fee Protest. (CCTA views this “fee” as a tax). They announced the Sacramento County Superior Court granted certification of a class. Cogdill explained that this is a positive development for taxpayers. More questions about the Fire Fee came from the audience. Wolfe encouraged people to visit FireTaxProtest.org for details.

Featured speaker Sen. George Runner arrived after having attended another speaking engagement near Valley Springs. Runner said he has been speaking to several taxpayer groups lately. Known as “the taxpayer advocate,” Runner is Vice Chair of the California State Board of Equalization. He spoke of the fight against “the unfair and illegal fire tax” and of the effort to return millions of dollars back to the taxpayers. The audience was on alert and Senator Runner held their interest as he answered many impromptu questions.

After closing remarks by CCTA President Al Segalla and the sound of Taps coming from Grimstead’s bugle, the evening came to an end as the sun disappeared behind the mountains.