Resident calls probe of city treasurer a ‘witch hunt’; video alleges Councilmember Aaron Starr recruited candidates

A resident and a virtual commenter used the Finance and Governance Committee’s public-comment period on July 14 to criticize local governance actions and raise election-related concerns.

Resident Jim addressed the committee during in-person public comment and criticized an evidentiary exhibit presented last week about the city treasurer. Jim said the exhibit offered no proof and omitted analysis showing the opportunity cost of the treasurer’s investment decisions. ‘‘I just thought that that was to me, that was inappropriate…this is nothing more than a witch hunt,’’ he said, adding that the attention was wasting city staff time and damaging the city’s reputation.

A virtual speaker asked the clerk to play a pre-recorded video. The recording contained statements that District 3 Councilmember Aaron Starr had recruited three candidates — John Barrick, Lisanne Nunez and Noemi Corpuz — and raised money on their behalf. In the video a voice says, "What I've done is I've recruited 3 candidates to run with me... I've been raising money for them," and the narrator framed those remarks as evidence of a coordinated political effort.

The video narrator and a caller characterized Starr’s actions as part of a broader "libertarian agenda" and said the activities could amount to an attempt to shift council composition in November. Committee members did not take action on the public comments; the consent agenda that followed was approved by a 3-0 vote.

There was no statement on the record during this meeting from Councilmember Starr responding to the video’s allegations, nor did any staff present announce an investigation result in response to Jim’s criticism. The matters raised during public comment may be addressed in future meetings or in other forums.