Where is My Ballot?

Many thanks to CoCoTax member Leo Dominguez for this timely tip.

There is a method that can track and inform you of the behind the scenes travels of your important ballot, that you spent hours researching to make the best decision possible.

Have you wondered or worried if your ballot was received or counted? Did the ballot envelope get stuck in some corner of the main post office, or the local ballot drop box, or the big blue post office box?

Use this link to receive messages via text and email about when your ballot is mailed from USPS, when received by the Elections Division and Counted! Go to: WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov.

Government Hiring Errors Cost Taxpayers

Thanks to local activist and former Congressional staffer Kevin Briggs for contributing to this article.

Recent events in Brentwood and Martinez illustrate the need for careful hiring by public agencies. Hiring the wrong person into a senior position can lead to lost time, costly severance packages, and litigation.

Despite warnings from CoCoTax and others, Brentwood City Council named G. Harold Duffey as City Manager last October. Duffey previously held senior roles in Compton and Oakland, two cities facing documented fiscal strain. When he joined Compton as city manager in 2012, the city had declared a fiscal emergency and faced threats of Chapter 9 bankruptcy proceedings alongside Stockton and San Bernardino. While Compton avoided bankruptcy, it remained in severe fiscal distress during Duffey’s tenure.

The CPA firm hired by Compton withdrew its opinion on the 2013-14 audit after an embezzlement scandal involving a former deputy treasurer who stole approximately $3.7 million in cash payments over several years. The city then failed to produce audited statements for the following two fiscal years - an extremely rare lapse for a mid-sized California municipality. Compton only resumed audited financials years later, long after Duffey’s departure. A local blog also leveled accusations of expense inflation during his Compton period, though the precise merits of those claims remain unclear.

Later, as an assistant city administrator in Oakland under the Sheng Thao administration, Duffey was in the middle of a sexual harassment scandal. Publicly reported text messages exchanged with then-City Administrator Jestin Johnson in 2024 contained sexually suggestive commentary about women colleagues. A local activist accused Duffey of accepting a $250,000 bribe, and Duffey sought but failed to obtain a restraining order against the individual. An FPPC matter regarding late Statements of Economic Interests from his Oakland roles was closed after he completed a remedial education program and filed the forms.

Despite this background, the City Council moved forward with his appointment. Within months, employee associations submitted letters alleging gender-based discrimination and dehumanizing treatment of female staff. In June 2026 the council placed him on paid administrative leave. He resigned in October 2026 under a separation agreement that included about $124,000 in salary and accrued leave.

Gigi Patrick arrived at the Martinez Unified School District in July 2025 after approximately 30 years in administrative roles within the Vallejo City Unified School District, most recently as assistant superintendent of human resources. Vallejo’s district has a lengthy history of fiscal challenges, including a major state bailout and receivership period earlier in the century, though public reporting does not link

Patrick personally to the most severe mismanagement episodes. She was selected following a consultant-led search that began with 31 applicants and was described at the time as bringing collaborative leadership and fiscal expertise. Her three-year contract permitted the school board, at its sole discretion and without cause, to terminate the agreement upon written notice.

In April 2026, less than a year into the role, a 3-2 board vote placed her on paid administrative leave without public explanation. One week later, the board terminated her employment without cause. The district paid approximately $282,000 in severance compensation. Patrick responded with a lawsuit that alleges race, age, sex, and gender discrimination, harassment, and a hostile work environment. It contends she faced heightened and unequal scrutiny relative to white, male, or younger executives, and that she received no documented performance-improvement plan, progressive discipline, or meaningful opportunity to address concerns.

Taxpayers have a right to expect governing boards to hire more carefully. And the prime consideration for choosing a candidate should be the likelihood of him or her succeeding at the job. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) concerns should come second, or ideally not at all.

Events

We will be back with in-person events on January 22. Thanks to everyone who joined one of our lunches in 2026. We look forward to seeing you next year.

Meanwhile, we’ll continue to send email updates in November and December.