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Public comment period ranges from employee contracting concerns to allegations of impropriety against a supervisor
Summary
During public comment at the Kern County Board of Supervisors meeting, speakers raised ethics allegations against a supervisor, questioned contracting and staffing policies, and urged ambulance‑billing reforms; the board did not respond to the allegations on the record.
At the Board of Supervisors meeting, several members of the public used the two‑minute comment period to raise distinct concerns that the board recorded but did not act upon during the meeting.
David Abbasi accused Supervisor Chris Perez of multiple violations of what he labeled the "Levine Act," alleging repeated conflicts and campaign contributions tied to recent contract awards. Abbasi named transactions and said he has compiled documents he believes demonstrate wrongdoing; he told the board, "the paper trail tells a different tale and you're a dirty crook," and said he can "prove the racketeering." The clerk moved to the next speaker and the board did not take public action or offer an on‑the‑record response during the meeting.
County employee Karen Broussard identified herself as having 20 years of service and questioned the county’s contracting‑out practices for positions currently held by county employees. Broussard cited Kern County administrative policy sections and county code language she said were designed to avoid the appearance of impropriety and asked the board to address classification and pay concerns, including a stated 9.5% compensation issue for a legal‑secretary classification.
Jeffrey Miller urged the board to revise ambulance billing tiers after a recent personal charge he said reached about $3,000 for a basic transport. He recommended three tiers (low, medium and high) and questioned current mileage and charge structures for basic life support calls.
Other commenters included Colette Brown Rodriguez, who introduced representatives from Aventis and CSI, and Leslie Bass of the Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability, who later urged that SB 707 implementation broaden access and avoid shortening speaking times for the public.
None of the public allegations or complaints in this meeting were resolved on the record; in the case of the allegations against a supervisor, no formal response or referral was recorded during this session.
