Bussiness
At Shasta board, latest feud revolves around supervisor mixing county, personal business
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Kevin Crye is facing new scrutiny for reportedly mixing personal and official business while meeting with the Shasta County schools superintendent the day after the Board of Supervisors voted on a contract with the Office of Education.
Supervisor Tim Garman accused Supervisor Crye of pitching his Ninja Coalition gym services to Superintendent of Schools Mike Freeman, who had thought the meeting would be to discuss an Office of Education program that combats Adverse Childhood Experiences. A board majority, that included Crye, withheld providing a one-year extension to the Community Connect Program, opting instead for a six-month renewal so supervisors could learn more about the educational project.
But when Crye met Freeman, he came prepared to talk about his ASCEND Program. The Aug. 28 gathering came to light at Tuesday’s board meeting. Garman, indignant about what he learned, passed out copies of an email he obtained in which Freeman wrote to Crye that he was not comfortable with the supervisor’s conduct and as a result he would be declining Crye’s invitation to visit and learn more about his personal business program.
In the email, Freeman acknowledged they had set their meeting date before the board met and voted on the Office of Education contract on Aug. 27. But “the timing of a conversation about a personal business venture coming off the heels of a County BOS action item involving a significant county contract with Shasta COE feels like a potential conflict of interest. I understand that may not have been your intent but the optics of the situation exist regardless of intent,” Freeman wrote in the email to Crye.
After Tuesday’s meeting, Freeman spoke to the Record Searchlight. He said his email expressed his concerns and it did not accuse Crye of anything.
“Supervisor Garman might have additional data points or additional information that would raise the level of concerns beyond just my own,” Freeman said.
What happened at the meeting between Kevin Crye, SCOE staff?
Freeman said he shared the email to be transparent with taxpayers and that he came to the Aug. 28 meeting with Crye assuming they were going to talk about the Community Connect Program. That’s because at the supervisors’ meeting the prior day, Freeman said, Crye on the record said he wanted to meet with Freeman to gather more information about the program.
“So I reached out to my Community Connect staff and said, ‘Can you present so we can have answers to questions and the get the contract fully approved?’” Freeman said.
But, Freeman said, Crye showed up with his personal assistant from his personal business and appeared surprised that (Community Connect staff) were in the room.
“I will own it. I introduced the additional people into the meeting, but it was on the assumption that I heard the day before him say on the record at the board of supervisors’ meeting that he was going to be meeting with me,” Freeman said.
At the Tuesday board meeting, Crye countered that programs that receive money from the county should provide evidence that they are effective.
Shasta supervisors flexing power over county public schools office
Under the Board of Supervisor’s hard-right majority, supporters have sometimes turned their attention to education, an example of how national politics and polarization colors how some residents and the supervisors themselves view local schooling.
Garman’s criticism of Crye came before supervisors also on Tuesday considered another rule that could politicize future board decisions related to the Office of Education.
The board majority of Crye, Patrick Jones and Chris Kelstrom approved a change to an agreement with the Office of Education that wrests the signing authority away from the county executive officer and gives it to supervisors.
“These three people will be continually deciding on anything to do with SCOE and that concerns me,” Supervisor Mary Rickert said before she and Garman voted against the amendment, which passed 3-2.
But Crye rebutted Rickert, saying the amendment doesn’t really change things, that when the county executive officer had the signing authority, the contract still had to come before supervisors for final approval. CEO David Rickert, who is no relation to Mary Rickert, confirmed that board protocol when Crye asked him about it.
“So in this process … the reason why I wanted to do it this way is I wanted anything … to come before the board so the board could be educated about what is going on,” Crye said.
More awkward interactions with other county offices
Garman said he is dismayed in what he sees as Crye trying to influence people through his position of power.
It’s not the first time Crye’s conduct has raised concerns.
Garman on Tuesday also handed to reporters copies of an email that county Assessor-Recorder Leslie Morgan sent to him in which she details an awkward interaction between Crye and her staff over a property in the county.
“This person felt very uncomfortable and indicated that it seemed like he was trying to dig around to find problems,” Morgan’s email in part said.
Garman said he also met with Freeman, the county schools superintendent, and had follow-up conversations with other people who were at the meeting between Crye and Freeman.
“It appears that you were saying, ‘OK, we can get you this full money, if I get my contract.’ That’s the gist of what I was getting from those folks. I’ve got the email, so it’s here,” Garman told Crye.
Crye, who has a financial stake in public education as his Ninja gym and ASCEND Program by California Adventure Camps work with schools across the state, told Garman he doesn’t care about making money.
He said Garman would be embarrassed when “I release my emails.” But he did not elaborate on his comment.
“Really, it’s about accountability, people. We spend a lot of money on kids in Shasta County and I want metrics of what we’re getting for our dollar. And I think that’s what we should all want,” Crye said.
Garman defended the Community Connect Program and the county’s financial support. He noted the Office of Education will be receiving an award for its work on the program.
Indeed in December, the county Office of Education will be honored with a Golden Bell Award from the California School Boards Association.
“Ironically, we get recognized that we are making a difference and we hit a snag on Aug. 27 when on the consent agenda, the item gets pulled and (the funding) gets reduced by six months,” Freeman said.
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly “Buzz on the Street” column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.
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