02/13/2024
We appreciate Supervisor Tom Arnold!
Thank you for all your support from all of us here at Hidden Treasures Low Cost Spay and Neuter Facility
CANDIDATES NIGHT TOWN HALL REMAINING QUESTIONS by Incumbant Tom Arnold.
1. How do you feel about the cat problem? Do you believe we have a problem and are you taking a positive stand to help our felines in Glenn County?
After hearing all the information given to the Board of Supervisors from both Hidden Treasures (Orland area) and Catnip and Cattitude (Willows area), I believe we have a problem in Glenn County. Even with all the work that has been done with spaying and neutering feral cats, there is still a lot of work to do. I truly believe that there is a need, and I hope that both organizations can continue their work. The current Board of Supervisors has chosen to support both cat organizations and they each received $15,000 in grant monies, and Hidden Treasures received another $7,500 in other grant funding. I support and appreciate both organizations for the outstanding work they have done. I thank everyone who has worked on this including all of the volunteers, and I also appreciate Sheriff Gibbs for his help.
2. With “support of small businesses” comments, are you also including the small farms? Small farm owners don’t get economic support from agricultural programs and don’t qualify for low income programs either.
I support all businesses that fit in with our community and stimulate our economy. Big, small, or in between, it should not matter in supporting these entities. One of the ways to support our small farmers is by having a great Ag Department. Our Ag Commissioner does a great job supporting all aspects of the ag industry, and we have great employees in place to serve our farmers. There are currently programs that support all ag business. I would suggest all our farmers look into what is available through this department.
3. What would you do to bring more housing to Glenn County? Without housing, we cannot have business growth. Without growth, our county will die off. Do you have a plan other than saying you don’t know yet until you get elected?
The County currently has several developers they are working with when it comes to housing. We just finished our Housing Element, which gave us insight into the needs of our County. We definitely are in need of single family dwellings in our community, and the County is prepared to move forward with housing. Unfortunately, the cost to build such infrastructure at this time is so expensive, which is a barrier. Hopefully, the price of building materials and interest rates will drop, to accommodate building more homes. We also need financial support from the State of California.
4. What do you think you bring to the table/position that is not already being provided? What is your educational background? Familiarity with big budgets? What volunteer work have you done? WHY ARE YOU QUALIFIED?
I am currently in the district 3 Supervisor seat but acknowledge that there is so much more work to do, which is why it would be an honor to be reelected for another term. Upon being elected in 2020, I participated in the CSAC education and training for new supervisors. I willingly sit on over 20 formal committees, which provides me with insight into local and state issues and puts me in a position to make county policy decisions. I have spent countless hours learning the County budget, and I will continue to educate myself in all aspects of County Government. The current proposed budget for the County of Glenn is $259 million. As your representative, it is my responsibility to proactively hold our department heads accountable in spending our tax money in the most efficient and responsible way possible.
I pride myself on being readily available to my constituents, which has allowed me to seek their input into county matters. Because of this, my knowledge of our County and my relationships with many knowledgeable constituents have helped me in making decisions that are representative of my district. I want to thank my constituents for sharing with me their worries, concerns, and county issues, so that I can represent them well.
I have volunteered in the community in many ways. My wife and I were part of the PTA when our kids were in school, and we put on several events and fundraisers during that time. My involvement in FFA as a student, led me to want to volunteer my time in 4H and FFA later for our kids and others. My wife and I have also dedicated many hours to the Hunter Ed program as certified instructors for the State of California. We do our best to support as many community endeavors as possible.
As the incumbent, my qualifications are validated by what has been accomplished in my first term. There is a long list of accomplishments in my three-year tenure. Here are a few from the 2023 calendar year:
• Law enforcement/Probation/OES training facility at Orland airport
• HHSA grant amount for $18 million for building a new youth and family services building
• Centralized dispatching
• Ambulance purchase (in process)
• $700,000 grant sustainable drinking water project (Elk Creek Community Service District)
• $900,000+ grant sustainable drinking water project (Artois Community Service District)
• Senior Nutrition Program $180,000
• Fire districts $275,000
• Williamson Act (10% Burden removed)
• Library funding increased
• Sheriff contract (City of Willows)
• Well drilling standards (Ag and Domestic)
• Grants for Willows and Orland Memorial Parks
• Purpose Place Apartments through Habitat for Humanity and City of Orland
5. Do you think it’s fair for supervisors to collect multiple pensions from former government jobs they have retired from & do you feel it’s greedy? Would any of you volunteer your services?
This question comes down to the legalities of what is in place. The pension rules and regulations are clear as to what you can do. If there is a choice, it would come down to an ethical decision. If a supervisor is looking into the past, keeping up with the present, and looking to the future, it takes an immense amount of time. If this is being done, the wages paid to a supervisor do not fully cover your time and effort. For me, being in a position to fix the past, take care of current issues, and guide our County into the future, is priceless. The wages should not affect the amount of time and effort that you’re putting into this position. Most supervisors volunteer in many ways in our community.
6. Would you vote to discharge a department head if another supervisor’s family member wanted the job? How do you feel about nepotism?
As far voting to discharge a department head so another supervisor’s family member could take the job, this sounds unethical and unlawful. Because of this, I would not get involved in such a situation, nor would I condone it. There are very clear rules about nepotism. Like all issues, hiring and firing practices must be conducted lawfully.
7. Please clarify your stand on the Brown Act, what you think it means to the supervisor position and if there is ever an appropriate time for it to be violated?
The Brown Act is a very important part of county or city government. It is in place to protect the transparency given to the public. This is proven by the minimal amount of exceptions for having closed session. County and city business should be done in front of the public. There is never an appropriate time for it to be violated. The only legal way for a Board of Supervisors or City Council to bring closed session into the public is by a majority vote.
8. How do you think the homeless population should be addressed in Glenn County? Are their rights more important than property owners rights? Should they be allowed to “squat” wherever they want, like near Walmart? How do you think this affects our community when we have visitors such as the racetrack crowd?
The City of Chico proved that there is potential for the State to fine cities and counties for not handling the matter as it should. The homeless population needs to be addressed in a manner to keep the county out of liability. By educating ourselves to deal with this population legally, we can handle it without costing our county general fund monies. This population of people have no special rights compared to others in our county, and the laws apply to everyone. We need to continue to work collaboratively and proactively in dealing with the homeless population. With such a small population of homeless in Glenn County, most people coming into our town are more likely to notice the small number of homeless, in comparison to other cities and towns in the state.
9. Do you feel that having undocumented “illegal” aliens in our community adds to the gang problems facing our sheriff’s department? Are they a drain on our resources? If elected, how would you tackle this issue?
I do not know what the percentage is of gang members who are here illegally. I personally do not care whether a person is an illegal alien or a citizen; if you are causing problems and adding more work for our deputies to deal with, it needs to be addressed. This is why I am working proactively with Sheriff Gibbs to increase wages and support his department in any way that is needed.
If there are any further questions, please call or text me at (530) 330-0328. You can also email questions to [email protected].
Tom Arnold
