Four years ago, it was a different story for Kevin Faulconer and the New York Post, which headlined a June 24, 2019, story about Faulconer: “San Diego mayor touts ‘dramatic action’ to combat homelessness.”

Raiding accounts

The acting replacement for ex-San Diego County Counsel Lonnie Eldridge, who mysteriously exited his post almost a year ago after only twelve months on the job, has been called out by county chief of audits Juan Perez for sloppy handling of public money by her office. “A sample of four revolving funds were selected for review (two petty cash and two bank accounts),” according to Perez’s recently released April 13 report, which covers a host of security problems.

“The two locations that have a safe do not maintain a safe activity log,” per the document. Also, “County Counsel does not change the combination of the safes regularly, and only one individual knows the combination,” and “Bank reconciliations were not performed monthly and were not properly signed and dated by the preparer and reviewer.” Adds the audit: “Inadequate internal controls over revolving funds increases the risk of mishandling or misappropriation of funds.”

Lonnie Eldridge left public service for the (very) private sector.

Current County Counsel Claudia Silva took over the office following Eldridge’s surprise departure on June 30 of last year, reported by the Union-Tribune on July 1, 2022. “No public reason was offered by county supervisors, who announced the departure and his acting successor following a special closed-session board meeting Thursday,” per the dispatch. “Both [Nathan] Fletcher and county spokesman Michael Workman declined to comment on the developments.” Eldridge came from Simi Valley, home of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, where he was City Attorney with pay of $244,969 in 2019, according to Transparent California’s website. Supervisors here agreed to pay him a base salary of $286,850."

Eldridge is currently practicing law in San Diego, according to a LinkedIn page. “I am an attorney and technologist with both start-up and large organization experience. Specialties: technology, software, negotiation, product design, data privacy, intellectual property, water and energy.” The address listed for him on the State Bar’s website is a mail drop. According to an employment agreement with Eldridge signed by him on April 21, 2021: “At the end of the first six months of employment, employee shall receive a performance evaluation by the Board and a second performance evaluation at the end of the next six months of employment. Thereafter, the Board will evaluate Employee performance at least once per year of employment. Employee understands and agrees that the failure to evaluate Employee annually shall not affect the right of the parties In this Agreement, including termination of Employee’s employment.” The deal granted Eldridge a maximum $15,000 in relocation expenses and a monthly car allowance of $675.

Before succeeding Eldridge, Silva was the county’s director of the office of ethics and compliance. Transparent California lists her 2021 salary and benefits total as $395,362.00. Prior to that, Silva was assistant county counsel, with total pay and benefits of $334,222.39, per the website. Before that she was city attorney for National City, which she left in October, 2016 after about six years in the position. “It’s a great opportunity to expand and use my skills in a larger way,” she told the Star-News. “I get to serve a larger constituency and continue my public service.” In a letter to Perez, Silva said the problems identified by the audit were being fixed.

Kevin Faulconer’s New York times

Republican San Diego ex-mayor Kevin Faulconer, reportedly deciding whether to run against incumbent mayor Todd Gloria or Gloria’s fellow incumbent Democrat, County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, continues to get the royal treatment from Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post. “San Diego’s homeless encampment ban is ‘doomed to fail’ without tougher enforcement as homelessness reaches a crisis point in the California city, its former mayor told The Post,” the paper reported June 15. “The ‘unsafe-camping’ ordinance was passed on Tuesday by a 5-4 vote and bans rough sleepers from many areas in the city, but former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said it’s not enough to solve the issue.” He added: “The unfortunate reality in San Diego is that it’s taken over our Downtown, and it is skyrocketing throughout the entire city. The real danger is if you fail to enforce it equally throughout the city, you are just pushing the problem further. You’ve got to tackle it all at once.”

Four years ago, it was a different story for Faulconer and the Post, which headlined a June 24, 2019 story about Faulconer: “San Diego mayor touts ‘dramatic action’ to combat homelessness.” Proclaimed the then-mayor during a Fox News Interview, per the Post: “We’re taking dramatic action to move homeless people off the streets and get them help. Our strategy is to connect, support and shelter them.”

Continued the newspaper’s account: “The mayor said the plan has proved successful since the first shelter was constructed in 2017 when a hepatitis A outbreak was spreading through the city’s homeless​ community​. San Diego officials credit the shelter program with causing a 6% drop in the homeless population from last year and a 90% reduction over the past two years at a homeless camp along the San Diego River.”

Will Terra Lawson-Remer have to face the Faulconer?

Meanwhile, Gloria picked up $50,000 from the San Diego County Democratic Party on June 22, according to a June 23 filing with the city clerk’s office.

A sign that Faulconer’s out-of-town business allies are gearing up for a high-dollar campaign for something is a June 22 filing by a political committee calling itself The San Diego Safe Shelters and Clean Streets Act Sponsored by the California Business Roundtable Issues PAC. Listed as the principal officer is Faulconer political intimate Aimee Faucett. The most recent contributions to the Roundtable’s issues PAC have come from Dart Container Corporation, with $3000 on March 24, and San Diego-based real estate developer, kicking in $100,000 on April 24....

San Diego Democrat Toni Atkins, pro Tem of the California state Senate, got $5500 on June 19 from the California New Car Dealers Association political action committee for her 2026 bid for Lieutenant Governor...The Los Angeles Chargers, who fled San Diego after failing to get a taxpayer-financed stadium, is advertising for help with the team’s YouTube channel. “The Associate Editor, Features and Branded Content will serve as an editor on YouTube features and YouTube shorts, in addition to publishing content to the platform,” says a notice on LinkedIn for the $50,000 a year job. “This position will report to the Senior Producer, Features and Branded Content.”

— Matt Potter

(@sdmattpotter)

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