I recently read mailers from each of the two candidates for Director of District 5 for the Oceano Community Services District (OCSD). The contrast could not be more dramatic.
Charles Varni’s flyer is filled with important information from his endorsees, statements about his values and community priorities, and an extensive list of his accomplishments over the past two years.
In contrast, his opposition’s mailer contains no statement about the candidates’ values, priorities, or beliefs. Instead, it is a compilation of absolute lies, exaggerations, and manipulations meant to deceive the public. One example claims that Varni is responsible for incurring costs associated with the OCSD meeting twice a month, when in fact the OCSD was meeting twice monthly for years before Varni ever joined the district.
From my observations over the last two years, Varni is very informed and hardworking and is deeply committed to the betterment of Oceano. On the other hand, his opponent seems to take positions that are not in the best interest of the residents. Instead, her votes have favored just a few investors whose goal is to further their financial stake in the community at the expense of the townspeople.
Robert Bronte
Oceano
This article appears in Oct 31 – Nov 10, 2024.
dude, I dig that you and the varnicles are into succulents but we NEED OUR FIRE STATION BACK !!!! we need for him to STOP burning through managers like he burns through managers, and attorneys, and money, and stop giving away our buidlings. Do you know that Oceano had to trade out buidlings and rental income for fire services CUZ varni told everyone if you vote against the fire tax the county would pick up the tab??? he was wrong or he LIED because paulding has the buildings and now we pay rent!!! and we dont even have a fire station anymore!!! then there was the time he got in the face of a veteran and tried to tell him he couldnt be at an oceano meeting, Then there was the time he hooked with an ex con to throw shade on another director and the time he tried to give the whole town to grover then there was the time he tried to do a day of the dead rager with oceano money and no one showed up!!!! then he got an advisory council ditched then there are the times he yells at people at his meetings, then there was last week when the dude WENT OFF when the last manager said he succs!! Brahahahaha!!!! Sorry man, no the plants are cool. Ohhhh endorsements – like NO BUSINESS in oceano endorses varni, only elected official is pauldinjg and i guess bj sunneson now. yuou sersiouly need to get your facts. its all here man on new times. you should check it out. RIGHT ON on the plants!!!!
Jack,
The County IS paying for Oceano fire service, using the property tax that has historically gone to fire AND $350K a year from County General Funds — paid for by people outside Oceano. It is important to note that OCSD (before Varni eve came aboard) was backfilling fire with rental income from the Sheriff’s station, with no way to pay back the Facilities Fund. This was deficit spending of the worst kind.
The district office functions should ALWAYS have paid rent. The Fire Station was built by Water and Sewer Funds, those funds weren’t paid back. Paying rent would have not only paid those funds back, but it would also have paid to maintain and improve the station.
General/City Managers often turn over when there’s a change in board majority. Will Clemens saw the writing on the wall and tried to get fired, with a HUGE severance. Thankfully he ultimately quit, but did threaten to sue for the severance — Claim Denied by ALL 5 Board members. Then, Paavo Ogren bailed on Oceano AGAIN. Not because of Varni, Paavo is a quitter. He’s quit on Oceano (twice now), Cambria, and San Simeon.
Law firms also come and go through CSD’s and cities. The law firm that left at the end of October had their sights on being legal counsel for the MEGA Million Dollar Central Coast Blue project. In both the cases of the Clemens Claim and the Central Coast Blue/Adamski conflict of interest, the district has been very fortunate to have Rob Shultz in the attorney role for this last year.
Mr. Bronte’s letter succinctly points out that Varni has accomplishments, values & goals for which to be proud of, while Gibson only has her disdain for Varni. What does she stand for that’s different from Varni? I know it to be true they both would like to see fire service return to the defunct station — that the CSD now has no jurisdiction over.
Varni, who has only been on the board for 2 years has facilitated quite a lot, in spite of management resistance and turnover, embezzlement that occurred before he was elected, and Gibson’s constant attempts to stop him.
The “facts” are in the votes that move the district forward. Gibson often votes in opposition to Varni, to the detriment of the district.
Julie,
What has Shirley voted no on that was detrimental to the district? I do not think OPARC can really count.you say legal and general managers change with boards but what about the regular hourly staff? Word around is multiple employees are looking to leave due to Varni. Do you also support that? His mistreatment of the staff so much so that they have filed complaints with union and former president villa?
Alyssa,
I have seen no evidence of complaints by the union, can you share the documentation? I have heard rumors that staff is unhappy with the current manager.
By the way, OCSD wouldn’t have a union (and the associated costs passed on to ratepayers) at all if it wasn’t for abysmal GM’s and Board’s of the past.
Shirley’s two most recent flipflop votes, with nonsencical arguements, first 10/9 against and then 10/16 for, the Oceano Plaza celebration grant application, triggered the need and cost for a special meeting. How could anyone oppose a community celebration at no cost to the district?
The ridiculous narative Shirley and friends promote that Varni “caused” the closure of the fire station, loss of buildings to divestiture and the failure of both fire tax measures (when he was NOT on the board) is absurd. Clearly, with the many brownouts and closure of the station by Lieberman in the years before the tax measures failed, and now the County picking up $350k a year on the Countywide dime, it is evident those fire tax measures were for significantly insufficient. Had either fire tax passed, the OCSD would have had their hand out again very shortly. The necessary improvements to update the fire station, which was conveniently omitted in the fire tax analisys, and Shirley & Linda’s votes to use Sheriff station rent to prop up fire fund deficits prolonged the inevitable need to divest.
Tackerlady you all up in there deep in Varni’s pookie defending with zero cred. B real u dont run with the bestest. https://www.newtimesslo.com/news/middle-sc…. and this https://www.newtimesslo.com/news/a-los-oso… and then there is your bestie!!! https://www.newtimesslo.com/news/ocsd-cand….
varnicles has lost buildings the fire station tried to give away our WHOLE TOWN and now wants to throw a party to help his no 1 bro paulding. meantimes paulding is running around all over the place painting park benches like hes freakin beethoven on ludes!!!! at least paint us a freakin fire station!!!
We want our FIRE STATION BACK NOWWWWW and we dont want him to GIVE AWAY ANYTHING ELSE PLEASEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Put that in our big giant sewer bong and take a BIG FAT GIANT HIT!!!!!
Julie Tacker is one of the most dishonest public figures on the Central Coast.
I would know. I wrote the book on Tacker.
Here is what she isn’t telling you.
Tacker continues to defend Charles Varni, despite busting local officials in other municipalities for doing the exact same things he did, because she is looking for a payday. Tacker and her partner Jeff Edwards — when he’s not busy making middle school girls uncomfortable — have made inquiries about applying for the General Manager position in Oceano. They are desperately trying to curry favor with OCSD leadership they can easily influence while sewing distrust about staff and stirring enough chaos for them to seize an opportunity — an opportunity that will never come.
Neither Tacker nor Edwards have any legitimate connection to Oceano other than through a friend who is a felon that was previously convicted for embezzlement. Their “activism” has no legitimate purpose.