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Public commenters press county on CVB transparency and urge more veterans funding
Summary
During general public comment, speakers raised detailed allegations about the Calaveras Visitors Bureau’s legal status and financial transparency and veterans groups asked supervisors for more funding help for facility repairs and solar bills.
Several members of the public used the general comment period at the Aug. 12 Calaveras County Board of Supervisors meeting to press the board on two recurring concerns: alleged transparency problems at the Calaveras Visitors Bureau (CVB) and requests for more local support for veterans organizations.
Christopher Butner, publisher of calaveras2026election.com, told the board he had submitted a series of questions for the record alleging that the CVB changed its legal designation from a public‑benefit nonprofit to a mutual‑benefit nonprofit in July 2021 and repeatedly failed to notify the county. Butner asked who instigated the change, why the county was not informed, and why the CVB continued to operate under its prior public‑benefit assumptions. He also cited county tourism‑sector figures, saying the county lost “340 tourism jobs between 2023 and 2024 and a reported loss of $4,600,000 in direct earnings from tourism between 2023 and 2024,” and urged county leaders to seek clarity and financial transparency from the CVB.
Representatives of veterans groups urged more county support for local posts and facilities. Don Goodrich, commander of VFW Post 2600, asked supervisors to consider funding to replace a roof and to help cover high solar bills—he said his post’s solar costs were “over $1,200 a month.” Goodrich said many veterans were instead seeking help from neighboring Tuolumne County because they found more responsive service there, and described at least one case where a veteran’s claim was resolved more quickly by Tuolumne County staff.
Goodrich noted that Supervisor Tofinelli had pledged $2,000 from his discretionary fund; he asked other supervisors to match that support or to consider larger allocations in upcoming budgets. Board members did not take action on the public comments during the meeting; supervisors and staff heard the concerns and noted they would be routed to the appropriate county offices for follow‑up.
Ending: The board did not respond with immediate commitments beyond acknowledging the requests; county staff and offices were expected to receive the written questions and follow up on veterans’ funding and CVB record requests.
