Plumas County Treasurer-Tax Collector Julie White’s request for reimbursement of her legal fees has been festering for nearly two years — and it seems it will have to wait a little longer.
The question of reimbursement has been included on the board of supervisors’ agenda for public discussion at least five times. The request, which has now grown to $265,578, appeared on the agendas for all three July board meetings as a closed session item. The supervisors have taken no action.
“I just want it resolved so we can all move on,” said White.
After the board’s July 15 meeting, Board of Supervisors Chairman Kevin Goss said the supervisors are working toward a resolution despite taking no action. He had no additional information to report.
‘Conflict of interest‘
The dispute stems from a conflict that arose in September, 2023. A Sept. 6, 2023 letter to her from then-Human Resources Director Nancy Selvage cited 11 examples of White’s “dereliction of duties.” It asked White if she had any “physical impairment” that limited her ability to work.
“The board of supervisors would like to know why your work is backlogged,” Selvage said in her three-page letter.
It cited numerous issues with White’s investment management, including late and inconsistent payments to Feather River Tourism Association, now Plumas County Tourism. Selvage also cited issues with reconciling investment statements, cash and bank statements. Those issues later came to the supervisors, who aired the controversies without significant resolution.
White, who is an elected official, declined Selvage’s 2023 invitation to meet with her or the supervisors. Instead, she hired an attorney to represent her, rather than relying on the county counsel. White said that because the county counsel represented the board of supervisors, it could not also represent her in the dispute due to conflict of interest.
Deputy County counsel Sara James, who was interim county counsel at the time, has repeated;y said no conflict exists between her office and White. Without a conflict of interest, White would have had no reason to hire an attorney and request reimbursement for his fees.
In her public requests for attorney fees, White cited an Aug. 18, 2023 email from then-County Administrative Officer Debra Lucero to Selvage. It included verbiage that later appeared in Selvage’s letter to White. Because Selvage’s letter stated that the supervisors had authorized it, White claimed it indicated a violation of the Brown Act. Any discussion between Selvage and the supervisors about an elected official should have been held in public, White said.
Neither Selvage nor Lucero currently works for Plumas County.
The conflict of interest issue went to Judge James D. Garbolino, assigned to Plumas County Superior Court. In his Nov. 20, 2024, ruling, he said several actions by the board of supervisors acknowledged that they knew the county counsel had a conflict of interest in representing White.
“The court finds that sufficient evidence demonstrates that the board found that a conflict with county counsel existed,” Garbolino said in his 21-page ruling. He directed the county counsel to “attempt to settle on an agreement” with White’s attorney.
2024 payment motion fails
Months before the judge’s ruling, Supervisor Jeff Engel attempted to do just that. His March 19, 2024, motion would have paid White’s attorney fees, then totaling $96,943. Goss voted yes; Supervisors Dwight Ceresola voted no. Then-Supervisor Greg Hagwood and Supervisor Tom McGowan recused themselves, citing conflicts of interest.
Because the motion required two-thirds approval, it failed. At Ceresola’s request, the supervisors hired an outside attorney to represent them. After Garbolino’s ruling, the dispute did not appear on a public agenda until March 18, when White again requested payment of her attorney fees. By then they had risen to $265,577.66.
In addition to the payment, White is seeking a public apology, withdrawal of Selvage’s Sept. 6, 2023 letter, and having “county department heads and elected officials be treated respectfully and professionally,” she said.
Goss declined to respond in a July 17 telephone conversation with The Plumas Sun. The supervisors are negotiating with White’s attorney, he said. He gave no indication of when they might finalize their negotiations.
