11:11 AM PDT on Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Former Grand Terrace City Councilman Jim Miller pleaded guilty this morning to a misdemeanor charge stemming from payments he voted to approve to his wife’s weekly newspaper.
Miller pleaded guilty to having a financial interest by a state or local official in a government contract. In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors dropped a felony conflict of interest charge, which could have included prison time.
10:00 PM PDT on Monday, July 26, 2010
Cassie MacDuff
With the scandal over exorbitant pay for Bell officials, Inland residents may wonder if their city governments, too, have approved extravagant salaries unbeknownst to them.
A 2007 Press-Enterprise survey showed Inland city manager salaries doubled between 1996 and 2006. Some now top $200,000.
Cortes
Melissa Pinion-Whitt, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/30/2010 02:36:57 PM PDT
A Grand Terrace councilwoman who sought a permanent restraining order against a resident she claimed was harassing her withdrew the request Wednesday in San Bernardino Superior Court.
The request by Bea Cortes would have barred Kay Moore from all Grand Terrace council meetings, City Hall, city events and other locations if it had been granted. But Cortes said she decided against pursuing it, opting to steer clear of a restaurant Moore frequents.
Cortes
Written by Administrator
June 29th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Here is the order: Councilperson Cortes v. Moore Note: There are two separate files when you open the document. The first is the application and the second is the order.
A couple of things are noteworthy. First, the order is for 100 yards and includes city hall, city functions, etc. The defendant is a resident of Grand Terrace and this order basically denies her right to participate in city government or even pay her trash bill in person. If this order is made permanent, she would not be allowed to attend a 4th of July event if the city is sponsoring one, or a Christmas pageant, or a parade.
Written by Administrator
June 20th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
This past week San Bernardino County Deputy District Attorney John Goritz and state of California Deputy Attorney General Melissa Mandel unveiled their “conspiracy theory” in the trial of former Assessor’s Office employee Rex Gutierrez. In addition to having worked for the county, Gutierrez also is an elected member of the city of Rancho Cucamonga City Council. Gutierrez is accused of conducting city of Rancho Cucamonga business on county time.
Cortes
Grand Terrace Councilwoman Bea Cortes, who has become a figure of some controversy in recent months, this week filed for and was granted a restraining order against one of her constituents. The incident that precipitated the filing grew out of an apparent misunderstanding on the councilwoman’s part or otherwise her belief that a citizen’s disapproval of the way in which she has conducted herself in office constituted a threat to her safety and well being.
The Sentinel has learned that on June 1, Cortes was seated at the bar at JB’s Bar and Grill. That evening, seated across the bar was another Grand Terrace resident, Kay Moore, who resides with her husband, Steve, in the 23000 block of Westwood Avenue. Kay Moore, who was familiar with who Cortes was and her position with the city, remarked upon Cortes’ presence to another patron. Moore made further note of her disagreement with Cortes’ politics.
10:00 PM PDT on Friday, May 21, 2010
Cassie MacDuff
Former Grand Terrace Councilman Jim Miller took a calculated risk when he decided last week not to plead guilty to a misdemeanor conflict-of-interest charge and instead go to trial on a felony.
A jury could acquit him — or it could find him guilty. Juries are wild cards.
Mike Cruz, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/18/2010 07:03:14 PM PDT
Former Grand Terrace City Councilman Jim Miller rejected a plea offer from prosecutors today and may be headed to trial on allegations that he voted to send thousands of city dollars worth of advertising to his wife’s newspaper.
“We had discussed an offer, and that was withdrawn (Tuesday),” said Deputy District Attorney John Goritz, who is prosecuting the case.
10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Trial dates were set Tuesday for a former Grand Terrace city councilman charged in a felony conflict of interest case, following prosecutors’ withdrawal of a misdemeanor plea deal.
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/29/2010 04:58:09 PM PDT
GRAND TERRACE – The city managed to close a $423,000 budget gap this year, but more challenges lie ahead next year.
Officials anticipate an $800,000 shortfall in the General Fund for the 2010-2011 budget year starting July 1.
Created: 03/22/2010 05:33:19 PM PDT
When the economy began to decline in 2008, investments through the California Public Employees’ Retirement System took a hit.
As a result, cities in the Inland Empire have been juggling losses in revenue while making sure they meet employees’ retirement obligations.
This is the status of pension obligations of some Inland Empire cities:
COLTON
CONTRIBUTION: $5.75 million in 2008-09
PENSION OBLIGATION BOND: $31.14 million
EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION RATE: 19.498 percent fire, 20.052 percent police, 7.060 percent misc.
EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION RATE: 9 percent fire, 9 percent police – paid by city. 8 percent misc. – city pays 4 percent.
Michael J. Sorba, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/19/2010 07:36:00 PM PDT
COLTON – Pricey pension packages, budget breakdowns and deep deficits have reduced or jeopardized the reserves some cities have amassed over recent years.
Both Colton and San Bernardino are struggling with dwindling incomes that have burned cash reserves to dangerously low levels.
Rialto is struggling with higher pension costs set to start July 1, which a top official has said will deplete a sizeable $31 million reserve within three years if employees don’t agree to concessions.
10:00 PM PDT on Friday, March 19, 2010
Cassie MacDuff The Press-Enterprise
Of all the people implicated in the recent public corruption scandals, the one who evokes the most sympathy is Jim Miller, the Grand Terrace councilman who stepped down 10 days ago.
Miller stands out because he took responsibility, from the moment he was approached by investigators, for what he did.
Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/10/2010 06:37:39 PM PST
GRAND TERRACE – Councilman Jim Miller, who has been charged a single felony count for an alleged conflict-of-interest violation, has resigned.
Miller’s letter to City Hall stated his resignation became effective Wednesday.
“It has been my extreme pleasure serving the community that I love, and it is in that spirit, given the recent turmoil, that I step down from the council,” Miller wrote.
11:08 PM PST on Tuesday, March 9, 2010
By DARRELL R. SANTSCHI
The Press-Enterprise
GRAND TERRACE – City Councilman Jim Miller abruptly announced his resignation Tuesday night, admitting at a Grand Terrace council meeting that he should not have voted to approve payments of city funds to his wife’s newspaper.
Miller, 61, said at the meeting that his resignation will be effective today and promised that his wife, Margie, who owns the weekly newspaper Grand Terrace City News, will return to the city about $18,000 that she was paid for running legal advertisements for the city from Oct. 26, 2006, to Aug. 12, 2008.
10:31 PM PST on Sunday, February 28, 2010
By DARRELL R. SANTSCHI
The Press-Enterprise
Grand Terrace will have to cinch its belt tight for the next four months to make up a $423,240 budget gap this year and then brace for an $800,000 shortage in the fiscal year that begins July1.
City Manager Betsy Adams told the Grand Terrace City Council this week that new construction has ground to a halt, sales tax revenue has plunged and earnings on the city’s investments have dropped more than expected. All of this, she said, is the result of a slumping economy in a community of 12,500 people.
10:00 PM PST on Monday, February 22, 2010
By DARRELL R. SANTSCHI
The Press-Enterprise
The Grand Terrace City Council tonight will begin grappling with a budget crisis that could drain the city’s treasury for years to come.
In the short term, council members must trim $423,000 from the city’s general fund budget for the 4½ months remaining in the current fiscal year.
Then, they must find a way to pay back $2.6 million funneled since 1990 from the city redevelopment agency to balance the general fund that pays for day-to-day expenses.
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/22/2010 04:18:57 PM PST
GRAND TERRACE – The nation’s economy may be starting to rebound, but the city’s budget woes are not over.
The City Council will hold a 4 p.m. workshop today to talk about how to close a $423,000 mid-year budget shortfall in the General Fund.
Spending and revenue projections have changed since the start of the 2009-2010 budget year in July.
Posted by La Cochita at 3 February 2010
Twelve citizens of the city of Grand Terrace have a filed a request with District Attorney Mike Ramos to investigate one of his many mistresses for Government Code section 1090 violations. Which mistress you may ask. Yes, I realize it is difficult to keep them all straight. This time around it is Bertha Bea Cortes, a councilwoman for Grand Terrace.
Bea Cortes
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/02/2010 05:42:44 PM PST
GRAND TERRACE – A group of residents wants the District Attorney’s Office to investigate whether Councilwoman Bea Cortes violated state law by voting to spend more than $2,800 in public funds on a business with financial ties to her.
A complaint was filed last week and is under review, said Susan Mickey, spokeswoman for the District Attorney’s Office.
“We’re looking at it to determine whether it warrants opening an investigation,” Mickey said.
A group of 12 Grand Terrace residents has filed with the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office a complaint alleging that city councilwoman Bea Cortes engaged in multiple flagrant violations of Government Code Section 1090, the state of California’s conflict of interest law.
The complaint, which was provided to the public integrity unit formed by district attorney Mike Ramos in 2003 to deal with violations of the public trust perpetrated by elected and appointed city and government officials, contains allegations that Cortes voted repeatedly over the last four years to approve city payments to her employer, Terra Loma Real Estate and compounded the matter by attempting to hide the matter from public scrutiny by failing to report her relationship with Terra Loma on the economic interest disclosure documents she is required to file as a public official.
Bea Cortes
City of Grand Terrace council member Bertha Bea Cortes is the focus of a complaint submitted to the San Bernardino County District Attorney this week.
InlandPolitics.com received a copy of the complaint by email this morning.
The complaint signed by twelve citizen’s of the city alleges that Cortes committed multiple violations of the Political Reform Act. Specifically, that Cortes engaged in a conflict of interest in violation of section 1090 of the California Government Code, and committed perjury by filing false statements of economic interest, known as Form 700.
Grand Terrace City Councilman Jim Miller waived his right to a preliminary hearing in San Bernardino County Superior Court today.
The move sets the stage for an immediate jury trial on a single count of conflict of interest by a public officer, a felony.
The move follows a formal rejection of a plea offer of a single misdemeanor count that would require Miller to resign from office.
Miller was charged by District Attorney Michael Ramos for voting to approve what is referred to as a check disbursement register that is routinely placed on the Grand Terrace City Council consent calendar.
10:00 PM PST on Thursday, January 14, 2010
By IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise
Grand Terrace Councilman Jim Miller pleaded not guilty Thursday morning to a felony conflict-of-interest charge in San Bernardino County Superior Court.
His attorney, Richard M. Ewaniszyk, entered the plea on Miller’s behalf in the arraignment proceeding, which lasted only a few minutes. Miller will return to court on Feb. 1.
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/14/2010 04:18:57 PM PST
GRAND TERRACE – The city’s prescription drug discount program has been revived, thanks to an unlikely benefactor.
Barney Karger, an 81-year-old resident who has been critical of city officials, made a generous donation this week allowing Grand Terrace to offer the program.
The program enables Grand Terrace residents to get an average savings of 20 percent off the price of prescription drugs at CVS Pharmacies and other drug stores.
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/10/2010 09:40:12 PM PST
GRAND TERRACE – With great fanfare, the city announced a program last year promising residents an average savings of 20 percent off the price of prescription drugs.
Officials promoted the free program on the city’s Web site and issued a news release about it.
The City Council gave its unanimous blessing in late April, and a city report said the cards would be made available to the public within 30 days.
Susan Vaccaro
November 22, 2009
The case filed by San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos against Grand Terrace City Councilman Jim Miller is already half-way down the proverbial drain.
After being paraded out in front of a District Attorney orchestrated media arrest on a single felony charge of conflict of interest, the prosecution is now desperate to salvage something from the case.
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