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Resident Kathy Schlicht alleges 'breach of public trust' over Measure Y materials; city attorney says video shows removal
Summary
A Mission Viejo resident told council she found an unauthorized change in the city attorney's impartial analysis and called city brochures 'propaganda' tied to Measure Y; the city attorney said video shows the resident removing stacks of materials and defended the city's right to provide educational materials.
Kathy Schlicht, a Mission Viejo resident, used the Nov. 12 public-comment period to accuse city staff and the city attorney’s office of improperly changing the council’s directive and distributing biased materials related to Measure Y. She said that a single sentence in the impartial analysis converted the council’s intended special tax language into language consistent with a general tax and that she was "the only one that recognized that unauthorized change." Schlicht said her records requests for communications and the form submitted by the city attorney returned "no disclosable records," and she described city-distributed brochures she called propaganda.
The city attorney responded during the public comment period, saying there is “clear video” of Schlicht removing stacks of taxpayer-paid materials and disputing her characterization of the city’s actions. The city attorney told the council the law allows a public agency to provide educational material, and that the materials in question were not unlawful. Council members did not take formal action during public comment but allowed staff and legal counsel to note the concerns and the videos referenced. The exchange remained unresolved at the meeting; Schlicht said she has filed complaints with the state.
