Santa Rosa Councilmembers Rogers & Fleming Requiring City to Support Tax Measures Which Financially Benefit Their Paid Campaign Consultant
Breakaway Political, campaign consultant for Santa Rosa Councilmembers Chris Rogers & Victoria Fleming also includes Our Kids Our Future (Measure I) & Generation Housing within their client portfolio
Santa Rosa Councilman Chris Rogers is currently running for a seat as the California District 2 State Assemblyman.
He has served on the following Boards, Commissions, and Committees:
National League of Cities – Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources committee
Chair, Sonoma County Transportation Authority
Chair, Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority
Chair, Santa Rosa Economic Development Committee
Director, Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit
Director, Sonoma Clean Power
Chair, Santa Rosa Climate Action Committee
Chair, Santa Rosa Economic Development Committee
Delegate, California Democratic Party
Delegate, California Council of Governments
Chair, Consolidated Oversight Board of Redevelopment Agencies
Fmr. Chair, Longterm Financial Policy and Audit Committee
Fmr. Chair, Open Government Committee
Fmr. Director, Sonoma County Health Action
Fmr. Chair, California League of Cities Environmental Quality Committee
Fmr. Chair, Mayors and Councilmembers Legislative Committee
Councilwoman Victoria Fleming serves(d) on the following:
Ms. Fleming’s LinkedIn profile indicated that she has served on the Santa Rosa Council since 2018.
She served within the City alongside her significant other, Mr. David Guhin, former Assistant City Manager, City of Santa Rosa.
The couple purchased a $1.1M home together.
According to Cal-Access, Mr. Rogers has frequently utilized Mr. Leo Buc’s campaign consulting firm, Breakaway Political for his 2024 Assembly campaign.
Mr. Buc included the following current and past clients within his portfolio:
Re-Elect Clay Brennan Mendocino County Superior Court Judge
Generation Housing Santa Rosa
Sara Aminzadeh for California Assembly (Communications Consulting)
Victoria Fleming for Santa Rosa City Council (Data & Strategy Consulting - 40% Victory)
Stephanie Hellman for Fairfax Town Council (Communications and Mail Consulting - 35% Victory)
Tarrell Kullaway for San Anselmo City Council (Direct Mail Consulting 30% Victory)
No on Measure K - Sausalito Retail Licensing Initiative (Lead Consultant - 74% Victory)
Yes on Measure H - Santa Rosa Public Safety Sales Tax (Lead Consultant - 73% Victory)
Yes on Measure L - Healdsburg TOT Realignment (Lead Consultant - 76% Victory)
Our Kids Our Future - Early Childhood Education Sales Tax (General Consulting - Current)
Kevin Burke for Sonoma County Sheriff (General Consultant)
John Uy for Del Rey Oaks City Council (General Consulting 38% Victory)
Allison Kerr for Mayor (General Consulting)
Nicole Glentzer for Mendocino County Superintendent of Schools (Lead Consultant - 55% victory)
Measure B - Del Rey Oaks Multi-Use Trail(Lead Consultant - 52% victory)
Voters Opposed to Recalling District Attorney Jill Ravitch (Lead Consultant - 77% victory)
Mari Rodin for Mendocino County Supervisor (General Consulting)
Glenn McGourty for Mendocino County Supervisor (Lead Consultant - 58% victory)
John Haschak for Mendocino County Supervisor (Campaign Manager - 61% victory)
Mendocino Lake Community College District (Policy analysis consulting)
On September 10, 2024, the City of Santa Rosa Council held a Study Session for Council to receive an update on the various state and local ballot measures and discuss possible Council action to support or oppose these measures. This item was provided for Council’s information and no action was required to be taken except for possible direction to staff for the September 24 council meeting.
The Staff Report included the following language:
Measure I – “Sonoma County Child Care and Children’s Health Initiative and Sales Tax” requires a simple majority to pass, lasts until repealed by voters; one-quarter of one percent tax rate; placed on the ballot via signature gather.
Measure I is known as Our Kids Our Future. The funds raised by the proposed tax initiative would be administered by First 5 Sonoma County. Sixty percent of the revenue each year would go to access to early childcare and education services, including the development of new education facilities and providing rate increases for childcare providers and thus increasing compensation for employees of childcare providers. Forty percent of the revenue would go to expand perinatal and pediatric screening, referral, and treatment of trauma; implementation of programs aimed at pediatric patients and their families for health care and mental health services. The measure is expected to generate $30 million a year for these services.
Although Mr. Rogers was absent for the September 24, 2024 Council Meeting, the September 10, 2024 Minutes indicated that he and Councilwoman Victoria Fleming failed to recuse themselves from the Study Session to direct staff in preparation for the 24th.
Measure I helps to fund the salary of Mr. Rogers mother, the Executive Director and Board President of Early Learning Institute (ELI).
Mr. Buc’s LinkedIn profile indicated that he is Generation' Housing’s (Gen H) Electoral Advisor for the Bay Area Housing Bond.
He was recently named as a supporting contributor within Gen H’s State of Housing, Napa Valley report.
On December 5, 2023, Santa Rosa City Council received the following staff recommendation:
It is recommended by the Housing and Community Services Department that the Council: 1) receive information about the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority and the 2024 Regional Affordable Housing Bond; and 2) by motion, direct staff to conduct outreach and develop an Expenditure Plan outlining the use of bond proceeds, returning to the City Council at a later date for adoption.
Councilmembers Chris Rogers & Victoria Fleming did not recuse themselves from the discussion nor vote.
On December 11, 2023, the Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) and the Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA) Board received the following presentation:
The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) provided a presentation to the Board of Directors on the BAHFA activities an the potential future regional housing bond measure.
Minutes stated the following:
A representative from Generation Housing thanked for bringing this presentation forward. Obviously, this is a really important issue, and something Generation Housing has been driving aggressively, as many of you are aware.
The representative gave a shout out to Director Kelley for receiving a presentation recently on this issue, and for proceeding forward with a consideration of endorsement sometime in the first quarter of next year.
Generation Housing is very grateful for their efforts in advancing this, and very grateful for all of you for continuing to move these really important issues forward and looking forward to seeing some presentations coming for your respective bodies as well again.
Chair Rogers commented that Santa Rosa is grateful for the direct allocation and noted that this Board has always operated with a collegial approach. Even if something works for Santa Rosa, if it does not work for the rest of our county, we will not be in support of it.
Chair Rogers discussed further the hope the feedback from the Board about what they need in their community is taken back to BAHFA, because there's a way for us to do something incredible for the region.
Chair Rogers added the importance of making sure that there's enough in return on investment for our voters and for our public.
The motion was approved through the following vote: Aye: Bagby; Cader-Thompson; Giudice; Harvey; Hopkins; Kelley; Rogers; Rabbitt; Wall; Zollman. Noes: Abstain: Absent: Coursey; Lowe.
In 2022, Mr. Buc’s firm was paid to advocate for the City of Santa Rosa’s Measure H:
Extend the existing ¼ cent sales tax to renew locally controlled funding for public safety services in Santa Rosa; reduce wildfire risk; maintain rapid 9-1-1 emergency response/ early fire alerts/ evacuation planning; provide mental health counseling/ violence prevention programs for at-risk youth/ families; and prevent reductions of firefighters/ paramedics/ law enforcement officers.
As Mayor, Mr. Rogers was indicated as a supporter of the Measure on behalf of the City.
Being that Ms. Fleming and the former Assistant City Manager appeared to literally be sharing a bed together, have Santa Rosa Council, City management, and their paid consultants utilized their positions on local agencies to promote taxes which support the taxpayers, or instead destroy their lives? Are these added taxes simply a way for NGO’s to line their pockets while redistributing taxpayer funds to financially contribute to impending political campaigns?
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. -John 3:18
Not only is your writing engaging and informative, and of a particular importance to the local community, but man the lil cut out graphics r dope!! Simplistic but clever and compliment the content so well with the lil sprinkle of humor!!! 👌🏿👌🏿 #kufisnapback