The Nogales International reported late this afternoon that the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors were informed earlier today that $39.4 million dollars had gone missing from the county treasury during the period when former County Treasurer Liz Gutfahr was in office.
The International reported that supervisors were briefed by financial analysts with the accounting firm B. Riley Advisory Services in what was supposed to be a private executive session, but video of the session was somehow posted publicly on YouTube where it was viewed at least 50 times. The video has since been removed.
According to the International, the financial analysts told the supervisors that school districts in eastern Santa Cruz County lost significant amounts of money: Sonoita School District lost more than $516,000, the Patagonia Elementary District lost more than $528,000 and the Patagonia Union High School District lost more than $815,000.
When asked about what the supervisors were told during the executive session today—the day before the primary election, in which all three supervisors are are facing challengers—Supervisor Bruce Bracker said, “I can’t comment on this. You’ll have a complete comment in a couple of days.”
Commenting on the International’s report, Patagonia School Districts Superintendent Kenny Hayes said, “We are appalled by the numbers reported thus far but we need more information before we fully know how we’ll be impacted. At this point we don’t know how the county will resolve this issue in a fair manner.”
Sonoita Elgin Fire District Chief Marc Meredith said, “The new information released today confirms what we feared all along, which is that the amount appropriated far exceeds what we were told in our meeting with the County. If the school districts should have received more money in the past years, it’s a fair assumption that so should the fire districts. We will be reaching out to the County to ask why fire districts weren’t included in the information today and when we could expect those numbers.”
Cassina Farley, director of the nonprofit Patagonia Creative Arts Assn., echoed the feelings of frustration and anger expressed by many Santa Cruz County residents.
“Now more than ever I am convinced that in order to steal that kind of money she had help,” she said. “Either that help was in the form of incompetence on the part of her supervisors or directly in the form of accomplices. Either way, I hope they all are held accountable.”
To read the Nogales International article, click here (paywall).