Board Members from the Contra Costa County Board of Education are putting their foot down on a stipend payment to Trustee Jeff Belle who claims he was sick which caused him to miss a meeting.
The meeting in question occurred when Belle says due to an illness, he was forced to miss the September 26, 2018 meeting. Instead, Belle ultimately showed up to an Antioch Unified School District meeting and spoke.
According to the video of the AUSD Meeting (32:20-minute mark), Belle promoted his a symposium he was hosting on school safety at the Lone Tree Golf and Event Center. The second item was on facilities in the District that may be inadequate and work to alleviate some of the concern’s parents have with unsafe facilities.
During the October 3 meeting Trustee Mike Maxwell moved item 6.3 (Board Member Absence) who explained Mr. Belle was absent from the Board meeting and he spoke at the AUSD meeting but his absence stated he was ill.
“According to the video as well as a number of accounts, you were present and looked remarkably good at the Antioch Board Meeting and so whether you are choosing to do personal business or something else and not ill, you shouldn’t be eligible for your compensation,” said Maxwell. “That is just fair.”
Belle responded that was just his opinion and not within the bylaws and not within ed code.
“I am not even going to address that,” said Belle.
Trustee Vikki Chavez explained how you can’t call in ill for their board meeting and show up to another meeting and called it cause for possible censure.
“That is not something people do in the regular cause for business in any kind of city, county or united states business. In my opinion its not cool,” said Chavez.”
Belle replied, “I don’t have to do this, but I am going to do this as a courtesy. There is no legal ground for me to do this but I am going to do it out of courtesy because you asked,” said Belle. “I called in around 3:00 pm because I wasn’t feeling well but I said I might come… but guess what, its 3:00 pm, about 6:00 pm I start feeling better, that’s three hours. You mean to tell me since I called in I have to sit at home. Hey, I am not a kid, if I feel better four hours later I am going to go.”
Maxwell replied that he should have came to their meeting.
Belle replied that this was a personal attack while both Chavez and Maxwell denied that it was personal.
Chavez called moving towards a censure would be drastic but urged Belle to understand they have important business at hand and they all make sacrifices to be at meetings.
“We had inter-district transfers and we needed you here. We could have used your judgement in the appeals,” explained Chavez. “For you to show up at another meeting during our meeting I find it unconscionable. And would like you to at least acknowledge it was a mistake on your part.”
Fast forward to the October 17 meeting, it was brought back because the Board received a doctor note on Belles behalf.
It was moved by Maxwell and Deane that the Board disprove Belle’s absence because Belle went to another meeting on September 26.
Trustee Chaves recapped the series of events and explained that Belle called in sick at 3:00 pm and found his way to an AUSD meeting where he looked healthy.
“It was very obvious he felt fine to push his agenda for safety at the Antioch School Board where he was representing us where someone at the end of the meeting asked him if he was representing your board and he goes by the way he was not,” explained Chavez. “I don’t feel a person should be paid to be at a different meeting when he should be here when we had a whole bunch of stuff we had here.”
A motion was carried to disapprove the absence passed 4-1 with Belle being the dissenting vote.
Belle replied calling it wrong.
“I am going to file a god damn lawsuit”
The Board’s current monthly rate of compensation is $496.02.
The board then moved onto he next item where Belle continued to mumble for several minutes.
This is not the first time Belle has been in controversy. It was determined Belle had lied on his candidate statement and charges were filed by the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office.
In 2017, Assemblyman Jim Frazier introduced a bill (AB 894) aimed at Belle which would increase penalties to $5,000 in cases that determine a willful misrepresentation was made on a candidate statement.
“I introduced AB 894 in an effort to make sure voters are not deceived by candidates fabricating their accomplishments and misleading the public,” said Frazier. “We saw this occur in Contra Costa County. It is not fair and I will do everything in my power to make sure the residents I represent are protected from this injustice in the future.”
Ultimately, Governor Brown vetoed the bill saying he didn’t see it as a widespread problem and stated “resume puffing is exposure by the press or political attack by the opposition”.
14 comments
Just a self entitled lop. You got caught and you cry lawsuit. Man up, admit your mistake and apologize.
This person will never admit a mistake. The big mistake is he was elected. Vote NO Nov 6 on Mr Belle. By the way is their a current local address for him or is he still in Sacramento?
And this is called “leasership?” Should be removed from appointment at the least.
So this man represents education and publicly cusses gods name in vain. Recall, recall, recall. Our educational system does not need people with this attitude.
Maybe his god is Thor or Zeus. Ya never know
Ghetto mentality.
He is up for reelection this year. Vote no. This man has spent his life evading police all over the country. Pathological liar.
What a POS! I don’t want him representing the education of our future! He should be kicked off the board!
Why was this idiot elected in the first place?
Has any one who comments here showed up at a school board meeting? This man has done more to support children and families in the County than any person on that whole board in past years. Look at the court school situation, the fake county charter in Pittsburg and all of the money hidden and misused by the cabinet that he continues to question. Stop with the small stuff and look and the big numbers. Vote YES for Belle!
Google him and you’ll be surprised what comes up. With his history, how did he even get elected?
If God is with him, he will be elected. I heard him speak at a county hearing and he is the most knowledgeable of any board member. Someone said that he exposed corruption in the County special education program that led to a County Grand Jury investigation.
I sure as hell am not voting for Belle!
Hell’s Belles?
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