John Chiv: "The witchhunt against the Auditor Controller has dominated the news cycle. I am sick of it. Most of the public is tired of this back and forth bickering."

Mar 22, 2022

"The witchhunt against the Auditor Controller has dominated the news cycle. I am sick of it. Most of the public is tired of this back and forth bickering."

At 4:56 p.m. I received an email from John Bartholomew, Humboldt County Treasure Tax Collector.

My response to him:

John,

While I appreciate this response and will post it, the Auditor Controller isn't the one keeping this in the limelight, the Supervisors are. They refuse to provide answers to questions I have raised and concerns from the public. You are the only one who has even bothered to send me anything. Cannabis isn't of concern to me or many others struggling day to day.

The witchhunt against the Auditor Controller has dominated the news cycle. I am sick of it. Most of the public is tired of this back and forth bickering.

There are several other departments and several other people, not Karen, who have raised concerns. I do my own investigation, I do my own research. media, I am out in the community and earned people's trust for being independent.

Before this blog, I was active in the local business and political. I am well versed in how the Humboldt establishment works. I have worked for CWS myself and have an insider's perspective into DHHS. I cover courts and see the daily damage to this community which has worsened each, especially since 2010.

Unless you or any other Department heads or the cowardly supervisors (especially those who profited from my labor and time when I volunteered for them which was prior to having this blog) have answers to why DHHS did not investigate fraud reported, what motel owners are the gentleman friends that needed to get paid and why Rex had to deliver the check, I have other news to report.

There are issues that greatly impact the daily lives of those of us struggling day to day and without a guaranteed government paycheck.

John, you are one of the few department heads who has always been respectful and open, accessible to the media and public. I have known you for a long time. That is the only reason I am doing the nth post about the Auditor Controller.

Sincerely,

John Bartholomew email:

"Hello John,

This communication we are doing through your blog illustrates the turmoil Karen has created in county operations. She spews unsubstantiated allegations to the public then posts misleading information and emails that may be related to, but are not demonstrative of, what she claims to be true.

Karen tells the public from the courthouse steps that excise tax payments received “were not recorded into the general ledger as yours but rather as a lump sum along with hundreds of other people’s money”. But the email thread you posted from Amy (Assistant Treasurer-Tax Collector) says “The excise tax payment receipts from March that are like-kind and reference a parcel number and permit number are individual deposits and need separate receipt numbers. There is potential that some of these excise tax payments will need to be refunded in the future so we are keeping all the deposits and transactions separate”. Meaning excise tax payments are not recorded as a lump sum; they are separate, distinct, deposits from which any payment received can be tracked back to the permit & parcel to which it was credited. Why would anyone in the public not interpret the 2 statements highlighted as diametrically opposed to one another?

Karen, in her response on your blog, then states the following: “What the Treasurer-Tax Collector may not be understanding is the difference between the General Ledger and the software he uses to record tax payments (“Megabyte”). There are profiles in Megabyte for taxpayers separated by specific parcel numbers or permit numbers but those profiles don’t exist in the general ledger. All that exists in the general ledger are the funds the money is deposited into and the lump sum amounts. This is known and understood by the Treasurer-Tax Collector as we recently struggled to determine when Measure S taxes were paid by specific payers in order to calculate interest owed to them”.

And then Karen posts emails that may be related to excise taxes, but they have no relation to her public statement; nor does she admit that the TTC records excise tax payments as separate distinct deposits. Her accusation is false, but she attempts to twist it into an ‘alternate fact’ with unrelated emails and commentary.

Incidentally, Megabyte is the property tax billing and collection system used by the Assessor, Auditor, TTC departments. Excise taxes are billed and collected through the HdL operating system. Who “may not be understanding” the situation at hand?

This is a prime example of the disconnect created by the Auditor Controller’s inability to interact appropriately, and seamlessly, within county communications. The TTC Department always seeks solutions to problems, real or perceived; … Karen on the other hand points fingers versus seeking mutually beneficial solutions for everyone involved.

Thank you for your service to the community.

Best Regards,

John"

Previous and related posts:

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2022/03/confusion-tech-issues-and-no.html?m=1

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2022/03/while-i-appreciate-treasurer-tax.html?m=1

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2022/03/this-is-direct-contradiction-to.html?m=1

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2022/03/where-is-zeal-from-loco-ncj-and.html?m=1

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2022/03/who-do-you-trust-to-give-you-facts.html?m=1

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2022/03/john-you-were-right-not-to-look-into-my.html?m=1

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2022/03/rex-since-you-like-to-know-who-is-using.html?m=1

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2022/03/humboldt-auditor-controller-speaking.html?m=1