Maybe it’s a little early for a holiday celebration, but it didn’t stop the San Diego County Taxpayers Association from a festive lunch event at Jasmine Seafood Restaurant (highly recommended!) in which it named the recipients of the 4th Annual Taxpayer Champions Awards.
Taxpayer Champion Honorees for 2010 include:
- • Robert “Camo” Gleisberg, Oceanside taxpayer
- • Jon Walz, Senior Director, Cushman & Wakefield of San Diego, Inc.
- • Yehudi “Gaf” Gaffen, CEO, Gafcon, Inc.
Robert “Camo” Gleisberg has been a vigilant taxpayer advocate and has personally led efforts for pension and budget reform in the City of Oceanside. As an active SDCTA member, he keeps the Association apprised of critical issues in Oceanside and North County. He participates in the organization’s policy committee, provides invaluable input on fiscal and policy analysis and regularly attends and testifies at Oceanside Council hearings.
Jon Walz has been an SDCTA board member for more than a decade and has served on the Association’s Executive Committee since 2004. He has served as Chair of the Association’s Issues Committee and currently serves on the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) Propositions S & N Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC). Jon has been a consistent taxpayer advocate, never afraid to speak up to raise concerns and questions on matters that impact taxpayers. Recently, his minority vote and concerns raised at the SDCCD CBOC resulted in the Governing Board determining that a $16 million facility project was “not viable…since it would push the limits of the District’s bond funding capability and might result in an unreliable financial arrangement with other partners.” As Lani Lutar noted today, Walz offers a classic example of how an individual’s
Yehudi Gaffen, or “Gaf”, is an SDCTA Board member who has led efforts to review school district bond projects across the county to ensure the efficient use of taxpayer dollars. With Gaf’s encouragement and support, the San Diego Taxpayers Educational Foundation has successfully secured $15,000 in funding to update its 2007 study on facilities bonds and oversight committees and is expanding the study to review the region’s school district procurement policies. The study goal is to provide an updated assessment of current bond programs and practices, offer policy recommendations to improve transparency, and implement best practices which will ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent in an accountable, cost-effective and efficient manner.
Past honorees include April Boling, George Hawkins, Dan Shea and Greg Stein in 2009; Herb Cobb, Kimberly Hale and John O’Neill in 2008; and Andy Berg, Harvey Goodfriend and Mike McDowell in 2007.
Congratulations to all, and my personal thanks as a taxpayer!