Roseville Mayor’s Misstep

Roseville Press-Tribune

Roseville Mayor Harry Crabb Jr. would do well to consider a refresher course in honesty.

Crabb misrepresented the city last week when he attended a Rocklin City Council meeting to speak against the casino proposed by the United Auburn Indian Community.

The Rocklin council was considering whether to oppose the project. During the meeting, Rocklin Councilman George Magnuson asked Harry Crabb if Roseville officials were negotiating an agreement with the tribe. Crabb said no.

The truth is, Roseville had been in negotiations with the tribe for at least seven months. The proposed agreement, known as a Memorandum of Understanding or MOU, would have provided Roseville with more than $200,000 a year in tribal money for the Maidu Interpretive Center, $150,000 annually for an at-risk youth program in South Placer County, $300,000 for the realignment of Fiddyment Road and $30,000 annually to the Roseville Chamber of Commerce to help promote tourism and economic development.

The Placer County Board of Supervisors signed an agreement with the tribe, which will pay for various road improvements, pay $458,089 annually for five sheriff’s deputies to patrol in and around the casino, and pay another $450,000 to build a fire station and to hire a fire captain and one firefighter. The tribe would pay that amount annually for fire services.

After Crabb spoke, the Rocklin council voted to oppose the casino. During a break in the meeting, tribe Spokesman Doug Elmets presented Magnuson with a copy of the Roseville proposal.

The misrepresentation angered Rocklin officials who saw Roseville as protecting its own interests at the expense of neighboring cities—compelling other cities to oppose the casino, yet negotiating an agreement that would protect its own interests if the casino is built.

That issue became moot, however, when the tribe – angered by Crabb’s misrepresentations – withdrew its offer to Roseville.

This is not the first misstep under Crabb’s recent watch as mayor.

Crabb twice prevented residents from discussing issues on the council agenda. Once, during a workshop regarding department budgets, he restricted public comment to goals and objectives even though that’s not what the agenda said.

At another meeting, he refused to let the public comment on a downtown property issue, limiting it to a detail not on the agenda.

Another time, Crabb failed to properly adjourn a special meeting of the council, leaving residents waiting for the council’s return from a closed session.

Crabb must keep in mind the importance of his job. If the mayor misrepresents the city’s position on an issue, what does that do to the city’s credibility in future negotiations? When the city pursued the regional shopping mall, the mayor was often involved in discussions. When NEC decided to expand in Roseville – to the tune of $1.4 billion – it was partly because of a relationship developed over the years with the city’s mayors.

Disregard for truth will cost the city in credibility and reputation. Crabb should think before he speaks.

Copyright © 1999, Roseville Press-Tribune