One issue on Thursday nights Shasta County Board of Supervisors agenda involves free money, and the disbelief that it’s actually free. Last year Cathy Darling-Allen and her elections office was recognized for its excellence by a national organization which provides no-strings grant funding along with the award. Patrick Jones and others argued against accepting the $1.5 Million grant, saying the money is from an organization that leans left politically. The assertion was that the Center for Tech and Civic Life is backed by tech Billionaires including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Three board members voted to accept it, as long as it’s only used for the construction or purchase of a building for the Elections Office. The county pays around $15,000 a month to rent a 100 year old converted portion of the old Dicker’s Department Store. The grant was approved, but both Patrick Jones and Kevin Crye now assert that the restrictions they demanded had been removed from the final acceptance letter. Feeling that their authority was undermined, they’re demanding an explanation.
-Steve Gibson