It’s more than just the $31,500 FPPC fine.
Emails with County Auditor
September 15, 2026 - email to Gina Will (Auditor-Controller) and Craig Griesbach, former Director of OES
Dear Gina & Craig;
During public comment today at the Board of Supervisors meeting, Michael Taylor requested an accounting of all the expenses surrounding the Measure V tax initiative, including vendor invoices, legal fees, FPPC fine and staff hours.
The departments which used county staff for work on Measure V tasks, and also attending the Yes on Measure V committee public meetings, should be figured into the total expenses for Measure V. (see attached ‘Tracking Staff Hours’ document).
Carissa Binkley, Analyst in the Board of Supervisors office, was in charge of scheduling staff for the Yes on V Committee public meetings. She produced a schedule document. I think the Board of Supervisors Office still has that.
Michael and I would like to meet with you next week to begin documenting expenses. Please give us a date and time that works for you. We would like either Lisa Swarthout or Robb Tucker to be the Board representatives.
Thank you - Pauli
September 17th – email from Gina Will
Good afternoon Pauli,
We are reviewing this request along with the other recent inquiries to confirm whether there is any additional documentation that has not already been provided. As you’ll recall, I met with you and Michael over a year ago to discuss our policies, procedures, and the reports and documents available to meet your needs. At that time, we also explained that timekeeping records related to this project were not created, and therefore our office has no ability to reasonably estimate associated staff expenses.
Since then, my team has thoroughly reviewed all relevant reports and financial records, compiled a comprehensive summary of expenses, and provided the related reports and supporting documentation for your review.
At this point, Director Griesbach and I do not believe we have any additional substantive information to add to the discussion”. Sincerely, Gina
September 17th
Thank you, Gina. We have not seen a comprehensive summary of expenses that would include recent legal fees and fines, let alone staff time.
What Michael Taylor requested was basically a '“forensic accounting” of Measure V expenses. Given the fact that government employees are not to work on a campaign during work hours, it begs the question, was the decision not to log in staff hours a deliberate attempt to “circumvent” the reporting of staff hours. Usually, I would think, any special project would log in staff hours to determine the total costs of the project. This is done in any business. It would be accounting practice 101.
Be that as it may, Caleb Dardick, as manager of the Measure V Campaign, spent an entire year working on it. (2022 Salary $181,065 Salary & Benefits $248,958)
So, for starters his entire 2022 salary is certainly one of the costs of the Measure V Campaign. And then we have Department Heads logging in staff time as well as numerous Nevada County staff. I would begin by talking to those staff who were scheduled to work at the Yes on Measure V Campaign public presentations. Trish Tillotson certainly complained about using her staff’s hours. Maybe she kept a list of those hours? Ask Carissa Binkley for her staff scheduling document that she used.
Marcia Salter, the previous Auditor-Controller certainly “hoped” that staff time was being logged in as any good accountant would.
Therefore, our request to completely review all the costs associated with Measure V still stands as there are recent costs that need to be figured in. After all we are talking about “the people’s” (taxpayers) money and we deserve to know.
Let us know when we can meet and get started. The Board of Supervisors has a duty to investigate fiduciary negligence. – Pauli
Needless to say, the Board of Supervisors never responded to Michael Taylor’s request for an audit. And Gina Will certainly was not going to do an audit (which is her job). So, I spent a month doing multiple public records requests gathering documentation which revealed what Nevada County actually spent on bringing Measure V to the ballot in November of 2022.
The following are Measure V actual costs to the taxpayer, brought to you by CEO, Alison Lehman, Assistant CEO & Measure V Campaign Manager, Caleb Dardick, Deputy CEO and CFO Martin Polt, Craig Griesbach, Director of OES, Supervisors, Sue Hoek, Ed Scofield, and other supporting Nevada County staff.
Measure V Expenditure Totals
$242,906.61 – Vendor Expenses, as per Auditor-Controller document
Staff Time:
248,958.00 - Caleb Dardick’s Salary and Benefits for 2022 (Management of Campaign)
11,238.55 – Craig Griesbach (PCN 41400800) 81.25/hr.
900.00 - Alex Keeble-Toll (PCN 41400800) 12/hr.
9,000.00 – Minimal Estimated Compensation of Department Heads & Senior Staff
$270,096.55 –Total Staff Time Estimate
Legal Fees:
31,500.00 - FPPC Fine
44,257.50 - Legal Fees (BBK Law), paid 12/14/2022, Audrey Pruett Case #CU000283
7,635.00 – Attorney’s fees for Audrey Pruett Case #CU000283
5,035.00 – Legal Fees (BBK Law), re: FPPC complaint, paid 2/7/2023
770.00 – Legal Fees (BBK Law), re: FPPC complaint, paid 2/9/2023
1,190.00 – Legal Fees (BBK Law), re: FPPC complaint, paid 4/10/2023
2,020.00 – Legal Fees (BBK Law), re: FPPC complaint, paid 7/13/2023
681.50 - Christopher Pisano (BBK Law) letter re: Pauli’s FPPC complaint, 7/2023
430.00 – Christopher Pisano (BBK Law) FPPC ‘Settlement’ 3/11/2026
86.00 – Christopher Pisano (BBK Law), FPPC ‘Settlement’, 5/12/2026
774.00 - Christopher Pisano (BBK Law), FPPC ‘Settlement’, 6/10/2026
16,185.10 – County Counsel time (56.75/hr.) Pruett matter
5,839.61 – County Counsel time (19.75/hr.) the two FPPC complaints
$116,403.71-Total Legal Fees related to Measure V
Grand total of Measure V Expenses (taxpayer dollars) equals approximately $629,406.87.
Surely there must be legal consequences for such blatant fiduciary negligence by our government employees and elected officials. I do know that the FPPC is interested in holding individuals responsible for the misuse of public resources for a campaign purpose.
