BY GARTH STAPLEY
CV Journalism Collaborative
StanCOG’s policy board has fired executive director Rosa De Leon Park in the wake of civil grand jurors accusing her of corruption.
The Aug. 6 unanimous vote came just after an ad hoc committee presented evidence in a hastily called meeting behind closed doors to the policy board, which governs the Stanislaus Council of Governments.
“After seeing their findings, I agreed she needed to be terminated,” said Modesto Councilmember David Wright, a policy board member, in an interview with The Modesto Focus.
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Park allegedly tapped into taxpayer money for personal use. She drove premium rental vehicles almost nonstop for 3 ½ years, stayed at luxury hotels, took first-class flights, and rented a pontoon boat, all on public money, according to the recent grand jury report.
And a mysterious change in vacation policy doubling her annual vacation from five to 10 weeks – allowing her to cash out whatever vacation she didn’t use – may have enriched her personal bank account by more than $55,000 a year, the grand jury said.
Park, who did not attend the Aug. 6 meeting, was terminated with cause, although policy board members declined to pinpoint reasons. Firing with cause ends the paid administrative leave status that had been rewarding Park since late June with $25,000 a month.
The termination signals the policy board’s willingness to part ways with Park now rather than wait for results of a coming financial audit that board members hope will restore public faith in the transportation agency.
“I don’t need a $100,000 investigation to tell me it’s wrong to increase vacation time without approval from the governing board,” said County Supervisor Mani Grewal.
“We all feel comfortable with it,” said Buck Condit, chairman of both the StanCOG policy board and the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors. He scheduled the special meeting, he said, because “it was obvious during the course of the ad hoc committee’s investigation that they had come across information that they thought was pertinent for the entire policy board to hear. And that led us to terminate for cause.”
Grand jurors asked for proof that the vacation policy had been approved by the policy board, and got no definite answer. The amended policy affected only Park and administrative services director Cindy Malekos, who reportedly remains on the job.
Park’s termination came on a unanimous 9-0 vote of those attending the special meeting. That reflects the slimmest possible margin needed for a meeting – at least nine are required to form a quorum of the 16 elected members – as well as the majority vote needed to take such an action.
Voting to fire Park were Condit and fellow supervisors Grewal and Terry Withrow, and the following city representatives: Modesto Councilmember Wright and Mayor Sue Zwahlen, Newman Mayor Casey Graham, Oakdale Councilmember Kayleigh Gilbert, Patterson Mayor Michael Clauzel, Waterford Mayor Charlie Goeken and Riverbank Mayor Rachel Hernandez.
Absent were County Supervisors Vito Chiesa and Channce Condit, Modesto Councilmember Rosa Escutia-Braaton, Ceres Mayor Javier Lopez and Turlock Councilmember Erika Phillips. Hughson Councilmember George Carr left early and did not vote.
“Every questionable policy, every dollar misused, and every breach of trust must be accounted for,” said Nick Dokoozlian of the Stanislaus County Taxpayers Association, which demanded an investigation into the vacation cashout allegation. “Taxpayers deserve full transparency and reform.”
— Garth Stapley is the accountability reporter for The Modesto Focus, a project of the nonprofit Central Valley Journalism Collaborative.
