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Incorporate Olympic Valley faces $2,500 fine from CA political commission

Margaret Moran
mmoran@sierrasun.com

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Visit bit.ly/1R74rTD to learn more about the penalty fine recommended for Incorporate Olympic Valley PAC.

Visit incorporateolympicvalley.org, saveolympicvalley.org or placer.ca.gov/departments/lafco to learn more about incorporation effort, Save Olympic Valley, or to view associated documents.

OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. — The grassroots group that tried to incorporate Olympic Valley into a California town is facing a $2,500 fine from the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission.

Incorporate Olympic Valley PAC, a political action committee whose funds promoted incorporation efforts, is accused of failing to file timely monthly campaign statements for a year from July 15, 2013, through July 15, 2014.

Under the Political Reform Act, a committee that is primarily formed to support or oppose a local agency formation commission proposal is required to file monthly campaign statements by the 15th of each calendar month from the time a petition is circulated to the time the measure is placed on the ballot, or until termination.



In this case, petition circulation began June 28, 2013. According to an FPPC document, IOV was unaware of the filing requirements, and once notified after a complaint was filed with the FPPC, the group took steps to file all campaign statements to become compliant.

On July 31, 2014, the committee filed campaign statements covering Jan. 1, 2013, through July 15, 2014. Thereafter, the committee filed monthly statements.



The complaint against IOV was filed in May 2014 by a supporter of Save Olympic Valley, a coalition of valley residents, business owners, property owners and workers that was critical of incorporation.

The FPPC is slated to vote on its recommended penalty at its Thursday meeting.

While the commission has the authority to alter the recommended penalty, it usually approves recommendations as presented, said Jay Wierenga, communications director for the FPPC. Each case is pending until the full commission votes.

Meanwhile, the $2,500 fine has already been agreed to by FPPC enforcement and IOV and paid by the committee, with funds going into the state general fund, Wierenga said.

All fines in all cases — save for default judgments — are paid before the case is put on the commission’s agenda for action.

Should the commission alter the recommended penalty, the state will either reimburse or charge the committee the difference, depending on the decision.

In early December 2015, more than two years into the incorporation process, IOV withdrew its pending petition, citing hostility to the proposal from Placer County and others particularly as it related to the town’s projected financial viability.


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