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Tag: Bret Daniels

  • Citrus Heights has a new mayor and vice mayor. Is change coming?

    File photo, Citrus Heights council members Bret Daniels and Tim Schaefer. // CH Sentinel

    Sentinel staff report–
    Council members Bret Daniels and Tim Schaefer both have new titles on the Citrus Heights City Council, following a vote Thursday night.

    Schaefer will serve a one-year term as the city’s mayor and Daniels will serve a one-year term as vice mayor. The office of mayor was most recently held by Councilwoman Porsche Middleton, with Schaefer transitioning from his recent term as vice mayor.

    Council members annually select a mayor and vice mayor from among their ranks. The titles are largely symbolic, with the mayor serving as chair of meetings.

    The motion to appoint Schaefer as mayor was made by Daniels, and the motion to appoint Daniels was made by newly sworn-in councilwoman Jayna Karpinski-Costa for District 4.

    The Dec. 8 council meeting also saw the swearing in of newly elected Councilwoman MariJane Lopez-Taff, who narrowly won election for the District 2 seat. Middleton was also sworn in for another four-year term on the council, following her narrow win in District 5.

    The two newly elected council members fill the seats previously taken by long-tenured council members Steve Miller and Jeannie Bruins, who retired from the council this year and officially stepped down during the Dec. 8 meeting.

    Changes to come?
    The annual nomination and ratification of council members to serve one-year terms as mayor and vice mayor has historically been a routine formality, but the process became contentious two years ago when Schaefer and Daniels both voted “no” on the nomination of Miller and Middleton to serve as mayor and vice mayor.

    Schaefer and Daniels also joined forces in other split votes at City Hall, as a minority on the five-member council. The two were part of the minority in a 3-2 vote last year to approve a contract with Chris Boyd to serve as interim city manager last year, while the city searched for a new manager. Daniels said at the time “I don’t think there is any secret that there is a fracture in the council regarding the confidence in Mr. Boyd.”

    From 2021: ‘Fractured’ council votes 3-2 for interim Citrus Heights city manager

    The two were also vocal opponents of the Measure M sales tax proposal in 2020, as was Karpinski-Costa.

    Daniels has had a rocky relationship with some of his colleagues on the council, but his appointment on Thursday indicates the new makeup of the City Council may result in a change of direction.

    As another indication of potential changes to come, Daniels at the conclusion of Thursday’s meeting proposed placing a future item on the agenda to restore a rule requiring a lower threshold of support needed to place items on the agenda. Two years ago, the council had voted in a controversial 3-2 vote to increase the requirement from two council members to three, in order to place an item on the agenda.

    The proposal to restore the lower threshold of support was supported by both newly seated council members, Lopez-Taff and Karpinski-Costa. The item is expected to be placed on the council’s next agenda for discussion, and if passed, would allow greater ability for a minority of council members to place items on the agenda for discussion and a vote.

    Want to share your thoughts about the City Council? Submit a letter to the editor online by clicking here.

  • Councilman criticizes proposed rental regs as ‘a solution looking for a problem’

    Sentinel staff report–
    Councilman Bret Daniels has taken to social media to criticize proposed short-term rental regulations in Citrus Heights, saying the city has “failed to demonstrate a need for this government oversight.”

    Daniels’ comments were made in response to a post on the city’s Facebook page announcing the proposed ordinance, which would require annual licensing, impose a cap of two guests per bedroom, and ensure the collection of a 12% tax on Airbnb’s and other properties rented out for 30 days or less.

    Another commenter responded to Daniels’ assertion and advocated for regulations, claiming that short-term rentals “have a direct link to increased rent and mortgages.”

    See prior story: Citrus Heights proposes licensing, enforcing 12% tax on Airbnb’s

    As reported previously by The Sentinel, a police spokesman told the City Council during a study session last year that there were 11 calls associated with short-term rentals, from January to early September of 2021. He said multiple calls were regarding the same address, with four considered “public safety” issues where an arrest was made at one and a large party dispersed at another.

    During that session, several council members commented on the number of calls being relatively low, but expressed differing opinions on whether future action was needed.

    “I definitely believe we need something in place before something really bad happens,” said then-mayor Steve Miller, referencing a deadly shooting at an Airbnb in the Bay Area several years ago. “You know, if that happened here and we did nothing, I think we’d have a lot of questions to answer.”

    Councilman Daniels noted that Citrus Heights police receive “about 75,000” calls a year and said 11 calls for short-term rentals seemed insignificant. He also noted that with there being only around 70 short-term rentals compared to about 15,000 rental units in the city it seemed “like we’re a solution looking for a problem.”

    “I don’t see a problem yet — I don’t want to say we need to wait ’til we have a serious problem, but I don’t even see a problem, based on the numbers,” said Daniels. “Eleven calls, with at least one property accounting for several of those calls, compared to 75,000 other calls, it seems like our energy might be better spent focusing somewhere else.

    Daniels also said existing mechanisms allow for police to deal with “problem child” situations where rental owners have recurring issues, and said regulations and taxes would raise prices and contribute to the rising cost of housing — and potentially eliminate an option for homeless to obtain short-term housing.

    Councilwoman Jeannie Bruins said she didn’t think Airbnb’s are being rented out to homeless people, but said such rentals are being used for homeowners to supplement their income and should therefore be required to have a business license to do so. She also advocated for limited regulations, calling for “baby steps.”

    “I’d see three things to me that seem reasonable: a license, TOT, and the maximum number of guests that can stay so you don’t have 14 people camping out in a two-bedroom house,” said Bruins.

    A tentative timeline posted on the city’s website lists March 24 as the date for a public hearing and a vote on adopting the proposed regulations, followed by regulations becoming effecting on May 14, 2022. Those interested in sending comments directly to the City Council members can do so by emailing citycouncil@citrusheights.net.

    The draft ordinance can be viewed in full on the city’s website. (click here)

  • Citrus Heights council votes 3-2 for waste fee hike, amid opposition

    Vice Mayor Tim Schaefer speaks during a Jan. 27 public hearing on waste fee increases.

    Sentinel staff report–
    Residents can expect to see, on average, a 26% increase in their bill for waste collection in Citrus Heights, after the City Council held a public hearing Thursday night and narrowly voted to affirm a fee increase to cover the cost of a state-mandated organics recycling program.

    According to City Clerk Amy Van, a total of just over 100 letters of protest were received from residents, falling far short of the required majority protest specified by law to halt the fee increase. Public testimony was also heard on both sides, with three residents opposing the increase and one in favor.

    “We have the highest cost of living, the highest gas taxes,” said one resident, John Cain. “I’m drawing a line in the sand. I’m going to become a political activist.”

    Although acknowledging the city’s position in being forced to comply with state law or face daily fines, he urged the council to consider ways to lower the cost of the increase for residents and also said many people weren’t aware of the increase in fees.

    Another resident called it “an outrage on so many levels,” and another wrote a letter to the council calling it “a HUGE increase for those of us that are seniors, veterans, immigrants, and living on ‘fixed incomes.’”

    The organics recycling law, SB 1383, also has its supporters, with speaker Glenda Green telling the council the fee increase seemed reasonable due to the increase in weekly pickup of green waste cans, while adding that an assistance program to help low-income residents would be a good idea.

    “I am in favor of composting, and I’m actually really excited that we will have municipal composting,” she said, calling composting “the way of the future.”

    Despite the 3-2 vote in favor of approving the fee increase, council members were united in their opposition to the organics waste recycling being an “unfunded mandate” from the state. However, under threat of fines for non-compliance, the majority agreed to vote for the increase.

    “Nobody is happy about this,” said Councilwoman Jeannie Bruins. “We really are between a rock and a hard spot: if we vote this down, we still have to do it, we just get fined up to $10,000 a day if we refuse to do it.”

    “My over-arching message is that we need to change things at the state level,” said Bruins. “If we are really serious about being activists, as John said earlier, that’s where it’s gotta start.”

    Vice Mayor Tim Schaefer also had critical remarks about the program being mandated by the state, but called resident response “disappointing.”

    “I did, myself, reach out to folks and asked them to send their protest letter is, and 108 people… that’s just pretty disappointing,” said Schaefer. “If people aren’t going to make their voices heard, I don’t know what else we can do.”

    Councilman Bret Daniels said he wasn’t surprised by the low number of protest letters, noting that a city-wide mailer that was sent out could have been more easy to fill out a protest vote, with postage pre-paid.

    “Not to be too dramatic about it, but I almost feel like it’s similar to the day when they dumped the tea into the Boston harbor and said ‘no’ to a very small tax,” said Daniels. “I feel like: why don’t we take our garbage cans down to the capitol and dump em out and tell them ‘No, we’re not doing it.’”

    “I know its gonna pass, but again guys at some point we’re also elected to be the voice of the community and I can guarantee you the community doesn’t support this,” said Daniels, just prior to casting his vote. “At some point are we gonna push back, or are we gonna continue to let ourselves be pushed around?”

    At the conclusion of the meeting, council members agreed to support a proposal by Councilman Steve Miller to draft a “strongly worded resolution objecting to SB 1383 and forwarding that on to the Governor and the California legislature.”

    With the council’s vote on Thursday, fees are slated to jump by about $6 beginning in July 2022, rising from $23.61 for a typical 64-gallon garbage cart to $29.80, according to a staff report. Prices will then rise by up to 3.5% per year over the next five years, based on the Consumer Price Index.

    A city spokeswoman said an average cost increase for residents will be about $7.10 per month, or $14.20 per every two-month billing cycle.

    Under the new changes, beginning in July, green waste carts will be collected weekly instead of bi-weekly, and residents will be required to place food scraps and food-soiled paper in the green bin.

    Want to share your thoughts on this topic? The Sentinel welcomes letter to the editors or opinion columns for publication. To submit one online, click here.

  • Citrus Heights council votes 5-0 to increase building permit fees

    The Citrus Heights City Council voted on adjustments to fees charged during a June 24, 2021 meeting.

    Sentinel staff report–
    The Citrus Heights City Council during its most recent meeting last month unanimously passed several fee increases and adjustments affecting building permits and other fees charged by the city.

    The city’s interim administrative services director said a pair of fees that will increase building permit costs by a combined 10% were “inadvertently omitted” during a prior fee increase two years ago.

    The city previously raised fees across the board after contracting with Matrix Consulting Group in 2019 to study the actual cost of providing specialized city services and make recommendations to adjust fees charged to reduce the amount of costs being subsidized by the city’s General Fund. The council at that time passed the recommended fee adjustments in a 4-0 vote, which were expected to generate another $600,000 in revenue for the city.

    Interim Administrative Services Director Bill Zenoni told the council during last month’s meeting that the additional pair of fees are expected to generate $135,000 per year.

    Zenoni said a new “General Plan Update fee” will add a 6% fee to building permits to generate about $65,000 per year in order to offset the cost of future General Plan updates. He said the city’s General Plan should be updated about every 10 years at a cost of $600,000, with the city’s most recent update having occurred in 2011.

    Additionally, Zenoni said a Technology Fee of 4% was needed to cover costs of technology associated with plan review and permitting. The fee will be added to building, planning and engineering fees charged by the city and will generate an estimated $70,000 per year.

    Several other adjustments to various fees were also made during the council’s June 24 meeting.

    From 2019: Citrus Heights drops fee hike that would have tripled water heater permit cost

    The council’s prior action to raise fees across the board came under fire from many residents on social media, although only one person spoke during the meeting in 2019. No residents spoke during a public hearing held prior to the council’s vote last month.

    From 2019: Only one man spoke at the public hearing about fee increases in Citrus Heights. Here’s what he said.

    Following the proposed increase two years ago, most ire was directed at the proposed tripling of a flat-rate building permit issuance fee which would have increased the fee to $235, up from the existing cost of $68, making a water heater replacement permit rise from a total cost of about $87 up to $264. The council ended up dropping that portion of the fee increases.

    Councilman Bret Daniels, who advocated for permitting being a “no-cost process” while running for office in 2016, ended up casting his vote in support of the fee increases this time.

    Daniels previously said in a candidate statement: “We need to make our permitting procedures a no-cost process. If we stop to think about who is protected by the permitting process, it is the public as a whole. The public should then cover the cost as a whole. We pay taxes and those taxes should be used for government actions such as permitting. This would encourage homeowners to involve city staff and make our city safer.”

    Asked why he voted to support the fee increases instead, Daniels said in an email Monday his position is still the same as in 2016, but that he is waiting to fight the fees “at a later day when we can win the battle,” referencing next year’s election when three seats on the City Council are up for election.

    “I still feel these costs should be covered by the fact we already pay taxes and the services are designed to help the public as a whole,” said Daniels. “But I know the current council make up does not feel the same way.”

    Want to share your thoughts on building permits or fees in Citrus Heights? Click here to submit a letter to the editor.

  • Guest Column: Citrus Heights needs more like Daniels and Schaefer on council

    By Oleg Shishko–
    I have enjoyed the other pieces written by Mr. Bullington, but his latest column about discord on the City Council has unfortunately disappointed with its ad hominem attacks and little substance.

    See prior guest column: The real reason for the discord on the Citrus Heights City Council

    Mr. Bullington says that the reason for the council’s schism “lies in an examination of motives and personalities.” I think many will agree that motives and personalities are very hard to objectively judge without inserting personal opinion and animus.

    I don’t know the intentions, motives, or personalities of the other council members (Bruins, Miller, Middleton, and previously Slowey); but their actions on the council say a lot.

    The majority of the council approved a salary increase for our city manager two times in the last few years. They approved a 2% increase in 2017 and a 3% increase in 2019. The city manager’s total salary and benefits were at $411,610 in 2019. On both occasions, it was only Bret Daniels who voted no.

    Many citizens have been raising the alarm about the city departing from its tradition of being debt free. The only ones who really seemed to listen and echo them were Daniels and Tim Schaefer. While Daniels had unfortunately voted to approve our city’s first line of credit, he has been a vocal critic and opponent of other financial decisions of the city.

    From 2018: Citrus Heights City Council approves first-ever $12M line of credit

    We were told that the Measure M tax increase was in the works for a long time. However, the public only found out not long before the council voted to place it on the ballot. At the time it really seemed that they were trying to ram it through with minimal public input.

    Had they really been interested to receive the input from the public on this, they would have at least held more public hearings on the issue than the absolute minimum required by law. The only ones who resisted it were Daniels and then-candidate Schaefer.

    Consequently, the majority of the council recently voted to require three votes instead of two in order to put an item up for discussion on the council, thereby restricting the voices of Daniels and Schaefer. (Kudos to Miller for joining Daniels in voting against this disingenuous tactic of political maneuvering.)

    Related: Citrus Heights city manager announces retirement. What’s next?

    I was not happy when I heard the announcement of the retirement of Chris Boyd. It is sad that he wasn’t able to come to an effective, working relationship with Daniels and Schaefer.

    I thank Chris Boyd for his years of service to our city. I don’t doubt his good intentions. I am sure he is interested in the welfare and prosperity of our city. However, I am of the opinion that he lacked in responding to and balancing the concerns of citizens, some of which are listed above.

    So what is the cause of the recent discord at the city council? It’s not from subjective perceptions of “motives and personalities” of certain council members. It stems from the lack of transparency and questionable decisions of the majority on the council that have derailed our city’s financial base.

    Our council members do vote together and are united on most issues. However, matters of the budget are too important for us to gloss over for the sake of feeling good about our “unity”.

    “Discord” and “schism” are not always bad. I am glad that we have Daniels and Schaefer who are ready and willing to question the status quo.

    Oleg Shishko

    They aren’t perfect, but we finally have council members who will give a voice to the many who are concerned about the city’s recent decisions and changes in financial direction. We need more like them on the council to ask hard questions and keep our public servants accountable.

    Oleg Shishko is a four-year resident of Citrus Heights. He has served on the board of the Area 7/8 CHASE Neighborhood Association in 2020 and took an active role in defeating Measure M, serving as the Principal Officer of No on CH Measure M.

    *The Sentinel welcomes guest commentary from residents about local issues. Submit a letter to the editor or opinion column for publication: Click here

  • Citrus Heights councilman announces bid for U.S. Congress

    Bret Daniels
    File photo, Bret Daniels speaks during a 2016 candidate forum. // CH Sentinel

    Sentinel staff report–
    Citrus Heights Councilman Bret Daniels, an outspoken Republican, announced Wednesday that he will be running for U.S. House of Representatives, seeking the seat currently held by Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove).

    “Our children and grandchildren deserve better leadership that does not ignore how decisions today will affect their lives in the future, that does not ignore our God-given and Constitutionally protected rights, that does not ignore law and order and the rights of victims and society,” Daniels wrote in a statement announcing his bid for Congress on his personal Facebook page. He also called for leadership “that does not ignore the suffering of homeless veterans and others while opening the border to outsiders that are flooding into our country uncontrolled.”

    Daniels said his announcement coincided with St. Patrick’s Day — a day he said his Irish grandfather called “the greatest of all holidays.” He also posted a list of several hundred people who he said “have already pledged to support our effort.”

    Among supporters listed are Java Cherry Coffee Shop owner Louise Hansen Cordray as well as Randy and Karen Pastor, owners of Pastor’s Valero Gas Station in Citrus Heights. Newly elected Citrus Heights Councilman Tim Shaefer’s name also appears on the list, among about 20 veterans.

    Daniels, 60, has had a lengthy history in local politics. He initially served on the Citrus Heights City Council from 1999-2005 and later ran for various other campaigns for public office, including two attempts for City Council in 2008 and 2012 and multiple runs for Sacramento County Sheriff.

    In 2016, Daniels won a seat back on the Citrus Heights City Council, after running a campaign criticizing the city’s $21 million new City Hall purchase and promising to fight tax increases. He has often been a lone “no” vote on fiscal-related matters and was censured by his fellow council members in 2018 over stalking allegations that he called “without merit.”

    Daniels was subsequently elected to another four-year term on the council in 2020, where he has been joined by Councilman Schaefer in several split votes — including opposing the nomination of Steve Miller as mayor and opposing the city manager’s pick for who would replace the outgoing assistant city manager.

    The 7th Congressional District seat which Daniels is seeking has been held by Ami Bera since 2013. The district is made up of more than 700,000 residents and currently extends from Elk Grove to Citrus Heights, including Rancho Cordova and Folsom.

    The district has had some close races over the past decade, with Bera narrowly defeating challenger Doug Ose by less than 1% in 2014, followed in 2016 with a 2% margin of victory over challenger Scott Jones. Most recently, Bera defeated challenger Buzz Patterson in 2020 with over 56% of the vote.

    However, with once-in-a-decade redistricting coming before the 2022 election, the political makeup of the district could change. District boundaries will be redrawn using the latest population data from the 2020 Census.

    In California, redistricting is handled by the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. More information about redistricting and opportunities for public input is available on the commission’s website at www.wedrawthelinesca.org.

  • Citrus Heights council picks new mayor, vice mayor in split 3-2 vote

    Citrus Heights council picks new mayor, vice mayor in split 3-2 vote

    *This is a premium article accessible only by The Sentinel’s paid subscribers.

    Sentinel staff report–
    In an unusual split vote Thursday night Citrus Heights City Council members voted for Steve Miller and Porsche Middleton to serve one-year terms as the city’s mayor and vice mayor, respectively.

    The annual nomination and ratification of council members to serve as mayor and vice mayor is typically a routine formality, without controversy. But this year, newly seated District 3 Councilman Tim Schaefer joined District 1 Councilman Bret Daniels in voting “no” on the nomination of Miller and Middleton.

    Although no public discussion was made regarding the vote, Daniels told The Sentinel in a subsequent email that he was “intentionally being passed over” for a shot at mayor, noting that Miller had recently served as mayor in 2018.

    Schaefer similarly alleged a “consistent movement to prevent a fair opportunity for all council members to serve as mayor” and said the council “seems to have forgotten that there are five council members, not three.”

    Given an opportunity to respond, Councilwoman Jeannie Bruins, who made the motion to nominate Miller on Thursday, told The Sentinel in a brief statement that her decision was “because he is the most qualified councilmember to serve in that position during 2021.”

    The position of mayor and vice mayor is largely symbolic, as Citrus Heights operates with a council-manager form of government where the mayor doesn’t wield more power than others. Council members typically rotate through the mayor and vice mayor positions, with Bruins, Miller and outgoing mayor Jeff Slowey each being selected to serve twice in the past six years.

    Daniels, who was elected in 2016, has not served a term as mayor or vice mayor during that time, although he previously served as mayor when he served on the council in 2005, when he resigned while going through a divorce.

    Daniels has had a rough relationship at times with his colleagues on the council, having his initial nominee for planning commission rejected by his fellow council members who refused to ratify his appointment in 2017.

    He was later censured by his fellow council members in 2018 after police reports from 2008 and 2017 surfaced alleging he repeatedly pursued communication with a former high school girlfriend in a manner she called “creepy.” Daniels denied allegations of wrong doing and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office concluded that no criminal conduct occurred.

    Miller was first appointed to the City Council to fill a vacancy in 2005 and was subsequently elected in 2006 and re-elected every four years. Middleton initially ran for City Council in 2016 and lost, but returned in 2018 to win a seat on the council.

    Miller replaces Jeff Slowey as mayor, who opted to retire this year after serving 17 years on the council.

    Thursday’s vote could be an indication that a more divided council will emerge from this year’s council elections.

    Daniels and Schaefer previously joined forces in 2016, mutually endorsing each others campaigns for City Council that year. The two were also both outspoken critics of the Measure M sales tax, which failed this year, while the other three members of the council endorsed the measure.

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  • Election results: Daniels, Schaefer hold strong leads in Citrus Heights council races

    Election results: Daniels, Schaefer hold strong leads in Citrus Heights council races

    File photo, candidate Tim Schaefer, right, sits next to Bret Daniels at an election forum in 2016. // CH Sentinel

    Sentinel staff report–
    Citrus Heights Council District 3 candidate Tim Schaefer has declared victory after receiving 62% of the vote from ballots counted so far, with contender Thomas Goetz trailing at 37%.

    “I am grateful and honored to have been elected to represent District 3,” Schaefer told The Sentinel in an email Wednesday night. “I will serve with the best interest of the residents of Citrus Heights in mind.”

    Councilman Bret Daniels also holds a strong lead for District 1, with 63% of the vote, while his opponent Nicole Castor held just 36%.

    “I am pleased with the results so far,” Daniels told The Sentinel on Wednesday. “I want to thank those that supported me and I look forward to serving the residents and businesses of District 1 and all of Citrus Heights.”

    Schaefer currently sits on the city’s Planning Commission and previously ran two unsuccessful bids for City Council in 2014 and 2016. Daniels currently sits on the council as an at-large member.

    Both Daniels and Schaefer spoke positively of the city’s change to district-based elections, which split the city into five separate districts and was implemented for the first time this election. The city previously selected council members at-large, where all voters from all parts of the city could vote for all five council members, rather than only the council member from their specific district.

    “Elections by district are considerably easier due to the smaller geographical area to cover and the fewer voters to reach,” said Daniels.

    Schaefer also said the district-based election system “allows the candidate to develop a better sense of who their constituents are,” noting during his prior attempts at running for an at-large seat on the council “it was difficult to reach everyone.”

    With only two of the five council members up for election this year, the majority of voters did not have a City Council race for their district on the ballot.

    Election results could change as more votes continue to be counted. Sacramento County elections officials are expected to issue an updated vote count this Friday by 4 p.m.

    Council members are typically seated in December, following official certification of election results.

  • Guest Opinion: When tax dollars were flowing, how did the city spend it?

    By Bret Daniels–
    As a longtime resident of Citrus Heights and having been on the City Council from 1999-2005 and 2016 to the present, I remember when the city was one of only two other cities in California who could say three things: (1) Our city has a balanced budget every year; (2) we have significant reserves; and (3) we have zero debt.

    Unfortunately, the days of a $35,000,000 reserve account and zero debt are gone and now the city is struggling to balance their budget with lower tax revenues from a sputtering economy.

    What’s ironic about this situation is what did the city do with the money when cash was rolling in from tax revenues? In 2019, the economy was hitting on all cylinders and unemployment among the minority and low-income communities was the lowest ever recorded. In February of this year, just 8 months ago, the stock market was at an all time high and tax revenue was coming into municipalities by the bucket loads.

    So were we spending enough on fixing our roads, improving security and safety in our schools, providing extra training for policy officers, expanding homeless programs, and supporting local businesses when the money was rolling in?

    Unfortunately the answer to my questions is …no…but in March of this year, city employees got another healthy pay raise when more than 100 city employees are compensated in excess of $100,000 a year while the average earnings of Citrus Heights residents is only $37,357 (before the pandemic!).

    And, the reason I ask about roads, school safety, etc., is because these are all the same promises the city is now making with the $12 million dollars Measure M will annually extract from the wallets of Citrus Heights residents and shoppers. The problem is that all the money will go into the general fund with no guarantee it will be spent as promised!

    What is also puzzling to me is how “out of touch” several of our city council members are with the people who voted for them and are counting on them to represent their best interests.

    Guest Opinion: Measure M would only cost me $7.23/mo

    Jeannie Bruins is the longest sitting council member and former Mayor and she claims this is a “penny” tax that will only cost her about $6 to $7 per month. That might be the case for her since she’s single with no children who need clothes, school supplies, and a whole lot of other stuff. She is a senior citizen who doesn’t have the needs of a growing family and is also ignoring our senior citizens on a fixed income.

    The problem with the math here is the city claims to raise $12 million dollars from the estimated 33,749 households in Citrus Heights. If paid entirely by residents, that’s $355 dollars for an average household per year. That’s a far cry from the $6 to $7 dollars a month Bruins says she will pay. Now, she may say that we are not counting all of the non-residents that buy things in Citrus Heights – but with the Sunrise Mall as it is, not that many people are coming here to shop!

    Then there’s Councilmember Steve Miller who opposed the Sacramento County Measure A half percent sales tax increase that would have distributed funds to Citrus Heights but for some reason he feels Citrus Heights residents can afford a full 1% sales tax increase which is twice as big a Measure A… Are you kidding me?

    When the city is willing to ignore opposition from the business community and low income households where they make so much less than the average city employee, it’s time for the citizens to send a loud message to city leaders that Enough is Enough!

    I hope you will vote No on M and send the city AND your elected representatives a message they will remember.

    Bret Daniels currently serves on the Citrus Heights City Council and is a candidate for the District 1 council seat this year.

    The Sentinel welcomes guest columns and letters about local issues. To submit one for publication: Click here

  • Meet Bret Daniels, candidate for Citrus Heights Council District 1

    Meet Bret Daniels, candidate for Citrus Heights Council District 1

    Note: As part of The Sentinel’s 2020 coverage of local elections, we have asked a series of seven identical questions to each of the candidates running for a seat on the Citrus Heights City Council. The questions are designed to give each of the candidates an opportunity to introduce themselves to the community and give voters an opportunity to learn more about each candidate’s life and background. Candidates replied via email, and those who responded to each question in less than 100 words have their answers published word-for-word.

    Bret Daniels, independent contractor | Age: 60

    Basic bio: “My family moved to Citrus Heights when I was 12 years old and I have been here for most of the time since then. I am married with four amazing kids and four beautiful granddaughters. I have an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice and thousands of training hours in law enforcement. I previously served on the council from 1999-2005 and returned in 2016.”

    Why are you running for City Council?

    “Citrus Heights has been my home forever and it will continue to be so. I love this city. We have seen so much progress since becoming our own city but there is so much more to do. The impact of my previous time on the council is still being felt today in a very positive way and I want to impact to continue on the council.”

    What are two things you like most about living in Citrus Heights?

    “It’s home… The people, the lifestyle, the job opportunities, and the local control all come together to make you feel at home. I like that we know who we are and what we will be for years to come. Being almost built out, we don’t have to be consumed by big development decisions… That lets us spend our tax dollars wisely and most importantly on what is best for the people that live here. And finally, my church. In Heights Church, I have found a church that cares just as much about the people and success of our city as I do.”

    What are the top two things you’d like to change/improve in Citrus Heights, if any?

    “We simply must do a better job at beautifying the city. And I promise to paint the fence in the middle of Greenback Lane within the next four years!”

    What are two books that have had the most influence on your life, and why/how?

    “While I have not read it cover to cover, the Bible has had the biggest impact in my life because it is what keeps me grounded. Ultimately, we come into this world equal and we leave this world equal. What we do between those two moments is so much more rewarding when we do it with a guiding hand. Beyond that, my life has been more shaped by those around me than by a book.”

    What are three key principles that would guide your votes on the council, if elected?

    “As a compassionate conservative, I believe it is much more compassionate to give a man a hand up than a hand out. All of us need to do more to help people get OUT of their difficulties with the goal of them sustaining that achievement on their own. We are all entitled to equal opportunity but no one is entitled to an equal outcome. And finally, government is at its best when it is least needed and not obtrusive. We must respect private property rights and we must oppose any effort to raise taxes on our citizens and businesses.”

    What kind of volunteer work have you done for charities, churches or service organizations in the community?

    “I have been involved with a charity for the past 17 years that provides toys to the kids of our military troops during Christmas and I have been involved with a charity for the past 8 years that provides financial support to the families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. I also serve on the Security Team of my church.”

    City Council members are paid a small monthly stipend of $600 for their service. If elected, how do you plan to balance work life elsewhere with council responsibilities?

    “During my 10 years on the city council, I have worked fulltime. It’s a challenge at times but easiest sacrifice has been to simply turn the TV off.”

    • Key endorsements: Sacramento Association of Realtors, Central Valley Taxpayers Association, Citrus Heights Planning Commissioner Tim Schaefer
    • Key donors: “My campaign is mostly self-funded with just a few hundred dollars received from friends and family.”

    Campaign website: bretdanielsforcitycouncil.com