The nearly 30 people who testified Tuesday before the Contra Costa Board of  Supervisors against a proposed new stormwater fee  arrived home later in the day to find an unpleasant surprise: A fold-out mailer promoting the countywide fee election that had been approved just a few hours earlier.

Critics immediately called the public hearing on the Contra Costa Community Clean Water Initiative a sham and started phoning supervisors’ offices.

It looks bad. The mailers were clearly prepared and mailed before the supervisors voted on whether to proceed with the election.

But the county says an outside consulting firm mistakenly and prematurely sent out the mailers during a staff changeover.

Supervisors and County Administrator David Twa are very displeased with SCI Consulting Group, which has a $1.1 million contract to help the county and its 19 cities put together the stormwater fee election.

“We did convey to (SCI) that this did a great deal of harm to the entire process and only adds to the belief that government fails to provide meaningful opportunities for the public to be heard,” Twa told me in an email.

See the mailer below.

Joel Keller

BART Director Joel Keller will not challenge Contra Costa County Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho, saying he wants to stay around to see through the construction of eBART into east Contra Costa County.

“I helped start eBART a number of years ago and I am going to stay at BART and see it through,” said Keller, a former Antioch mayor who was re-elected to BART in 2010.

eBART is a planned extension of the train system into Antioch and points east.

His decision to stay out of the race may well clear the path for Piepho’s easy re-election to a third term. No other challenger has emerged and while the official filing period doesn’t open until Feb. 13, the clock is ticking to set up a campaign structure and raise money.

Three Contra Costa supervisor seats will be on the ballot in June including Piepho’s slot and that of  supervisors Federal Glover and Gayle Uilkema. Glover has one declared challenger, Martinez Councilman Mike Menesini. Uilkema is retiring and two women are vying for her seat — Danville Mayor Candace Andersen and Contra Costa Community College Trustee Tomi Van de Brooke.

The cash is beginning to trickle into the into the campaigns of Contra Costa County supervisor candidates and the incumbents seeking re-election.

See below a dollar rundown of the candidates for Contra Costa County supervisor who filed campaign finance disclosures as of Dec. 31, 2011. (Download the full documents for yourself at the Contra Costa Election Division’s campaign finance web site, http://www.cocovote.us/.)

All candidates will compete in the June 5 election. If a candidate receives 50 percent plus one vote, he or she will win the seat outright in June. If not, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff in the November general election.

Keep in mind, the filing date opens on Feb. 13 and more candidates will likely surface.

But cash is king when it comes to winning elections. Folks who arrive late to the party may find those wallets already closed.

District 2 (Incumbent Gayle Uilkema is retiring.)

1. Tomi Van de Brooke, an Orinda resident and trustee on the Contra Costa Community College District: $36,900 in total contributions; $29,766 in the bank; and no personal loans.
2. Candace Andersen, Danville mayor: No filing. (She didn’t declare her candidacy until mid-November.)

District 3 (incumbent has no declared challengers)

1. Incumbent Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho of Discovery Bay (sitting supervisors have two accounts, a campaign account and an officeholder account for which she may spend the money only on activities related to serving in office: Campaign account — $27,668 in total contributions, $34,527 in the bank; and no personal loans. Officeholder account: $20,970 in total contributions, $3,611 in the bank; and no personal loans.

District 5

1. Incumbent supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg: Campaign account — $8,355 in total contributions; $36,621 in the bank; and no personal loans. Officeholder account — $46,655 in total contributions; $53,447 in the bank; and no personal loans.
2. Michael Menesini, deputy district attorney and Martinez Councilman: $500 in total contributions; $363 in the bank; and no personal loans.

Click here to see supervisor district boundary map.

Watch Zack Feere, son of Contra Costa Building Trades Council chief Greg Feere of Antioch, speak at the Columbia Ministry of Education and World Teach press conference. Proud Dad says it was “was totally unscripted, unplanned with about 3 minutes of preparation. Zack spoke after the Minister of Education before about seven TV cameras and was interviewed afterward, which he did in both English and Spanish.”

www.youtube.com

Don Perata

After weeks of discussions with local leaders and reviewing the results of an internal public opinion poll, former Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata says he will not run for Contra Costa County supervisor.

Perata sent a note to supporters, which said, “Thank you for your interest in my ambition to run for county supervisor but upon further consideration, I’ve concluded that my health and my family would be better served if I remain a civilian.”

That leaves two women in the race to succeed retiring Supervisor Gayle Uilkema — Contra Costa Community College District Trustee Tomi Van de Brooke and Danville Mayor Candace Andersen.

Sources say Perata, who moved to Orinda earlier this year after losing the Oakland mayor’s race, was deeply interested in the supervisor post.  He saw it as a way to put his vast legislative experience to use.

But Perata also feared his opponents would make the most of the now-closed FBI investigation into allegations that he participated in campaign kickbacks. Poll results reportedly showed high negatives for Perata in this area, along with his recent loss in Oakland and recent relocation to Orinda. Any campaign consultant worth her fee would run with these openings.

I won’t lie, I’m disappointed. Perata’s presence would have made this campaign incredibly interesting.

Danville Town Councilwoman Karen Stepper will not run for Contra Costa County supervisor.

“I’ve been looking at it all week and making calls,” Stepper said. “But the timing and the need to have a strong candidate in the (San Ramon Valley) and not split up the vote contributed to my decision not to run.”

Stepper runs an accounting firm and she is headed into tax season.

Stepper will instead endorse colleague and Danville Mayor Candace Andersen, who announced her candidacy last week for District 2, the seat held by Supervisor Gayle Uilkema of Lafayette. Uilkema is retiring at the end her term next year.

The other declared candidate is Contra Costa Community College Board President Tomi Van de Brooke.

A mysterious masked man appeared in front of Contra Costa County offices in Martinez this morning, carrying a sign that said “Hungry! Need your paycheck.”

Ahem.  Turns out it wasn’t exactly a homeless man down on his luck.

It’ was a guy in a Chevron costume, of sorts, with money coming out of his ears and dollar signs for eyeballs. He was protesting Chevron’s $100 million appeal of its property tax assessments for 2007-2009. The appeal proceedings have been under way in Martinez for weeks and probably won’t conclude until January.

He handed out a satire-packed flyer that depicts Chevron as “hurting for dough” and urged folks to attend a noon rally on Dec. 15.

Chevron Man!

Here’s the text of the flyer “Chevron Man” handed out:

SOMEBODY HAS TO SUFFER
YOU DON’T EXPECT US TO

Dear County Worker,

Chevron USA Inc. needs your help. Here’s our hard-luck story.

Everybody who owns a property, a home or rents, pays property taxes. So do we, only we need our money back ’cause we’re hurting for dough.

Granted, we’re the richest corporation in California. Granted our profits have soared for each of the past years. Granted, for eons we’ve gotten the benefit of the loopholes in Proposition 13. Granted we sit on some of the most valuable real estate in the bay.

Our expert “cost segmentation” experts from corporate in San Ramon will gladly tell you that our Richmond refinery is actually losing money.

So we’re asking for a refund on our property taxes for 2004 to 2010 that will only amount to only, say, $168 million dollars.

If we win, the City of Richmond, Contra Costa County, the West Contra Costa Unified School District and special districts like fire, health and Community College will have to cough up, I mean, contribute to our economy.

Speaking of donations, do you realize that last year Chevron gave away $3.7 million to charities? What we’re asking back from you is a measly 25 times that amount.

Here’s the good news, our $168 million tax refunds will result in leaner and smaller government and many of you will get to spend a lot more time at home with your families.

These are tough economic times and somebody has to suffer. You don’t expect a world player like Chevron to (suffer), do you? You’ve heard the motto — too big to fail? Meet its friend — too big to pay.

So do NOT attend the tax assessment appeal hearings in Room 107, Board of Supervisors. It’s closed to the public anyway. (NOTE FROM LISA: That is not accurate. The meetings are public except for segments the three-member appeals board determines deal with trade secrets.)

So do NOT discuss layoffs with your union. (It’s such a downer.)

Above all, do not attend the community rally at 12:00 on December 15 at the Contra Costa County Administration building at 651 Pine Street, Martinez. (Bunch of whiners.)

And thanks for putting our CEO, John F. Watson ($13,987,263) over the top.

Your pal at the pump,

Chevron-Man

What do crab, fixing California and Sarah Palin have in common?

They are all subjects of upcoming political events in Contra Costa County. Check them out.

BRENTWOOD

Piepho

Rancher Jack Roddy, developers and farmers Ron and Bob Nunn and Tim Argenti with Allied Waste will host a re-election fundraiser on Dec. 15 for Contra Costa Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho.

Other hosts include John Herrington, Norm Hattich and Tom Bloomfield.

The event will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Vic Stewarts, 2270 Balfour Road in Brentwood.

For information, send inquiry to marynejedlypiepho@gmail.com.

PITTSBURG

Glover

Let them crack crab. Contra Costa County Supervisor Federal Glover of Pittsburg will host his annual “all you can eat” crab feed on Jan.7.

It’ll cost you $40 a person for the festivities, which begin at 6 p.m. with cocktails, at the Good Shepherd Parish Hall, 3200 Harbor St. in Pittsburg.

Glover is running for re-election but proceeds from this event benefit his officerholder account; that’s a fund that incumbents are permitted to use for expenses related to serving in office such as crab feed tickets.

For tickets or information, email crabfeed2012@yahoo.com.

WALNUT CREEK

Mitchoff

Former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg will headline the Feb. 2 luncheon hosted by Contra Costa Supervisor Karen Mitchoff.

These days, Hertzberg is co-chairman of California Forward and a leader of the California Think Long Committee, two groups of reformers whose members hope to persuade voters to make fundamental changes in the way the state governs itself.

The luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 N. Main St., in Walnut Creek. Call 925-299-1612 for more information.

Proceeds benefit Mitchoff’s officeholder account, a fund that incumbents are permitted to use to pay for expenses related to their official duties.

BLACKHAWK

South San Joaquin County Republicans’ founder and author Frank Aquila will talk about his new book on Sarah Palin at the Jan. 26 evening meeting of the Blackhawk Republican Women.

Aquila wrote “Sarah Palin: Out of Nowhere” and was the 2008 chairman for then-president candidate and Arizona Sen. John McCain.  He lobbied early for Palin’s selection as McCain’s vice presidential running mate.

Aquila will also talk about the communist influence in America and present a 10-point solution to the nation’s woes.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Blackhawk Country Club, 599 Blackhawk Club Drive. The cost is $25 a person. For reservations, contact Marianne Lyons at rlyons@sbcglobal.net.

Danville Mayor Candace Andersen

Danville Mayor Candace Andersen will run for Contra County supervisor in 2012.

She hopes to succeed retiring Supervisor Gayle Uilkema of Lafayette, who opted to leave office after seven terms rather than seek re-election in a newly drawn District 2 that encompasses the San Ramon Valley and Lamorinda.

“We have reached a point in time where the county really needs some new leadership,” said Andersen, a 51-year-old attorney who has served on the Danville Town Council for eight years.

She’s interested in curbing escalating pension costs, protecting the integrity of the urban growth boundary, preserving core county services such as law enforcement and finding ways to help the county cope with declining state revenues.

Contra Costa Community College District Trustee Tomi Van de Brooke of Orinda has also declared her candidacy.

The open seat could draw a large field by the time the official filing period opens Feb. 13.

Other possible District 2 candidates include former Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata. He moved to Orinda after he lost his Oakland mayoral race last fall, but he’s been making exploratory phone calls assessing his support in Contra Costa County. (A poll in the area has also been linked to his possible candidacy; one of the questions was reportedly about whether the responder viewed Perata as a “carpetbagger.”)

Danville Town Councilwoman Karen Stepper has also been considering a run.

In other county supervisor elections, supervisors Mary Nejedly Piepho of Discovery Bay and Federal Glover of Pittsburg are seeking re-election in 2012. Piepho has no declared opponents yet, while Martinez Councilman Mike Menesini has opened a supervisor campaign account and may challenge Glover.

A candidate in any of the three supervisor districts on the ballot who receives more than 50 percent of the vote on June 5 will win the seat outright, or the top two finishers will compete in a runoff in the November general election.

Contra Costa County supervisors on Tuesday extended for one week contentious labor talks with a coalition of its five large public employee unions, putting off a vote to impose a contract. Click here to see full story.

“We have some optimism that we can reach an agreement before the board’s next meeting,” Contra Costa County Administrator David Twa told the board.

The delay came after three hours of emotional public testimony Tuesday from nearly 70 employees who pleaded with the county to return to the bargaining table and help them pay their health insurance costs.

“I live paycheck to paycheck,” said a tearful Cara Moffett, a clerk who makes about $50,000 a year. “I rob Peter to pay Paul every month. I ask that you not impose.”

The county was prepared to declare an impasse and mandate 3.2. percent in across-the-board pay cuts for the coalition’s nearly 4,700 members, almost half of the county’s workforce. Employees would also pay more toward their own pensions.

The concessions would save the county $20 million a year out of a $1.2 billion budget. CLICK HERE TO READ REST OF STORY.