Wednesday, January 10, 2007

By: Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer

The Placer County Board of Supervisors welcomed new members Rocky Rockholm and Kirk Uhler, but new blood didn't make a difference Tuesday for Supervisor Bruce Kranz on the question of whether supervisors should be providing funding for community organizations.

Kranz has opted out of the board's revenue sharing program -- a program that provides funding for dozens of nonprofits yearly but one he considers a slush fund for incumbents.

Since the start of his term two years ago, Kranz has consistently opposed revenue sharing but found no support from other supervisors to scrap the program.

With two revenue-sharing funding requests Tuesday, Kranz was again on the end of 4-1 votes -- this time with the two new supervisors voting with returning supervisors Jim Holmes and Robert Weygandt.

The votes were to give $250 each in revenue-sharing grants to the Placer High School Grad Night Alive 2007 program and toward purchase of a kiln at H. Clarke Powers Elementary School in Loomis.

Before the votes, Kranz said he would exercise his power as chairman of the board this year to have each revenue-sharing request dealt with as separate votes.

"I've never felt comfortable having the item on the consent agenda," he said. "In the future, I'm going to separate it out."

Each supervisorial district taking part has a total of $20,000 in revenue-sharing grant money yearly. Kranz described the funding mechanism as a way for supervisors to gift constituents. During the election two years ago, when he defeated veteran supervisor Rex Bloomfield, Kranz called revenue-sharing a slush fund for incumbents.

Uhler, who replaces Assemblyman Ted Gaines, R-Granite Bay, and Rockholm, who succeeds Roseville's Bill Santucci, voted in favor of both grants. While Rockholm did so without comment, Uhler noted that he brought the kiln grant forward because it had been given Gaines' approval to go forward in the fall.

"Philosophically, I share much of your sentiment but my intent is to meet the obligation," Uhler said.

Kranz said that he doesn't think the revenue-sharing grants should be put in the hands of each supervisor. In the past, he's suggested a program where boards such as the municipal advisory councils make recommendations.

As chairman, Kranz said he'd like to revisit the issue this year with the idea of looking at a different type of program.