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Greed and drama in the courthouse? Former board member says don’t trust Cerro Gordo officials

MASON CITY – A retired military serviceman residing in Mason City who was appointed to a county board that advises on salaries and pay rates for county servants was quickly ousted from the board and now warns citizens to “place no trust in some of these county officials” after his brief experience.

Faruk Jessa, via
ismailimail.blog

Faruk A. Jessa arrived in Mason City in 2016 after a well-travelled military life, he tells NIT.  After meeting local Cerro Gordo county Democrats and attending their meetings, he was asked by Democratic Treasurer and former acting Auditor Pat Wright (Riley Dirksen resigned) to apply to become a member of the Cerro Gordo county Compensation Board, which advises the Board of Supervisors on possible pay raises (or cuts) which the Supervisors then act upon as they choose.  An email obtained by NIT that was sent by Treasurer/then-Auditor Pat Wright from her county email account to Timothy LaPointe (also a current comp board member and Democrat) on Monday, August 20, 2018 at 2:55 PM explains Mrs. Wright “(met) Faruk Jessa and have thought about him often wondering how to take advantage of his dedication to Mason City and Iowa.”

Pat Wright, Treasurer and former acting Auditor

Mr. Jessa was later approved by Supervisors Tim Latham and Chris Watts to represent the County Auditor (Pat Wright at the time, before Adam Wedmore was elected soon thereafter) on the comp board after Wright’s recommendation to the Supervisors.

Mr. Jessa then set about spending many hours researching and rounding up information on county offices and employees to determine what pay raises they may or may not deserve.  He sent emails to officials, had meetings with them, and asked for packets of information detailing their duties and responsibilities.  He did meet with new Auditor Adam Wedmore and had somewhat extensive conversation with him (at least since November 19, emails show) leading up to the December 10 comp board meeting, where the board was set to make recommendations on salary and pay rates for non-union employees and elected officials.

At that December 10 comp board meeting, Mr. Jessa was immediately nominated to be the new Board Chairman.  The board approved.  It is noteworthy to mention that the Board Chair typically sets the tone for the meeting with a motion on a change in pay or salary.  The prior Chairman, Steve Minert, likely would have motioned for just a 1% pay hike, NIT is told and emails reveal.  Mr. Jessa, however, immediately motioned for a 5% raise for the office of Auditor.  Eventually, the board approved an across-the-board 2.75% pay raise for everyone concerned.

Less than two days later, Auditor Adam Wedmore fired Jessa from the comp board on the afternoon of December 12 after Mr. Jessa initially refused to resign.  Mr. Wedmore sent Mr. Jessa an email on Wednesday, December 12, 2018 at 2:00 PM, that said he was “rescinding your appointment to the county compensation board effective immediately.”  This was just over an hour after Mr. Jessa sent a lengthy email to other comp board members saying he was “honored” to be the board chair.  By 9:01 PM that evening, Mr. Jessa was responding to Auditor Wedmore via email, saying to him, “You stated that you wanted someone different to take my place.  Please explain what different means?  You also stated that you wanted someone more in line with how you think.  You never mentioned that I was to think the way you think or a certain way.”  Mr. Jessa went on to demand explanation as to why he was removed from the board.  He told NIT Wednesday that he thinks he was removed because he was seeking so much information from county officials and employees on their job duties.  Right up until he was removed from the board on December 12, that very morning, actually, he was still asking county personnel about their job duties.

Timothy LaPointe wants county Supervisors to get Todd Blodgett off his back, apparently.

Mr. Jessa soon thereafter sent an email on December 13 to Auditor Wedmore, resigning from the board.  Leading up to the resignation, emails show that Mr. Jessa and Timothy LaPointe suggested local political guru Todd Blodgett had become involved in the matter.  One email sent on December 13, 2018 at 11:10 AM reveals LaPointe ordering Supervisor Tim Latham to tell Todd Blodgett and co-board member Steve Minert to “stop with the personal attacks, and we’ll get along fine.”  A day earlier, he sent an email demanding an apology from all three Supervisors (Latham, Chris Watts and Casey Callanan) “for the insulting and offensive things that Mr. Blodgett said about me.”  Blodgett had said the board – all Republicans – would never re-appoint Mr. LaPointe to the comp Board, correspondence shows.

NorthIowaToday.com obtained comment from Mr. Blodgett and Mr. Minert, who straight-out rejected LaPointe’s claims.  

Todd Blodgett

“If LaPointe thinks that being honest, and frank, and accurately describing this mess and its perpetrators is “insulting and offensive”, Blodgett stated, “then that’s his problem.”  Mr. Blodgett added that in Mr. LaPointe’s divorce settlement, the Mason City attorney represented himself against his wife’s retained legal counsel. “Abe Lincoln,” Blodgett told NIT, “said that any lawyer who represents himself in a court has a fool for a client.”  President Lincoln, indeed, actually said this, according to a Wiki quote and other historical sources, Mr. Blodgett said. “So, why”, Mr. Blodgett asked, “would Cerro Gordo county want, as a member of ANY Board with ANY power, someone who personifies Abraham Lincoln’s definition of a fool?”

The following is Faruk Jessa’s statement on December 19 on the matter of his removal from and participation on the Cerro Gordo county Compensation Board:

To the Taxpayers of Cerro Gordo County,

After being asked to resign as a Chairman of the Compensation Board, I was terminated as a member of the Comp Board by the County Auditor.

Having been nominated to serve on the Board by Pat Wright, your County Treasurer who then was also acting Auditor, Democrats very cleverly discouraged me from meeting Board Chairman Steve Minert. Instead, I was directed to meet another member of the board. Pat Wright didn’t want me to meet Mr. Minert until after my placement. My nomination was confirmed by two board Supervisors – Chris Watts and Tim Latham. County Supervisor Tim Latham expressed that Minert was not good for the board and needs to be removed as Chairman but if removed from the Board it would rock a few boats.

Once the new Auditor Adam Wedmore was elected, I researched the position of Auditor to determine whether a raise was warranted. The provided information leaned heavily towards recommending a 5% raise for the Auditor. Had I known that County Officials receive compensation where taxpayers generously pay for IPERS and other benefits, I would’ve opposed any raise. County Officials didn’t provide me with this vital information. Therefore, my recommendation of a 5% raise led to a 2.75% raise. Had I been properly informed, I would have supported a 1% raise. The Auditor currently makes $81,025/annum. With the 2.75% increase the Auditor will make $83,115 plus benefits.

Not having been furnished with complete and relevant information regarding the process, and being steered THEIR way, this was a cleverly engineered plot by County Officials and their appointees to sway me to support raising their salaries. I was used as a pawn.

In my view, the Comp Board should be restored to its prior status with Steve Minert as Chairman. Mr. Minert completely understands the numbers relating to county compensation.

Over coffee, a friend told me, “ you know Faruk, I think these manipulative politicians chose brazen-self interest, greed, and clandestine chicanery over what would’ve better served their employers: the taxpayers of Cerro Gordo County.” He stated that “ you see first hand how such abusers of the public trust actually operate and don’t you think you have a moral obligation to expose it?”

Other issues transpired amongst county officials which I won’t mention now. However, taxpayers should place no trust in some of these county officials. An Ethics Review Board should be established to hold county officials responsible when they act in a coercive, manipulative and improper manner.

Sincerely,

Faruk A. Jessa
United States Navy & Navy Reserves – 1996 to 2003
United States Air Force – 2003 to 2006

Tim Latham, Supervisor

Cerro Gordo county Supervisor Tim Latham responded to Mr. Jessa’s letter, telling NIT, “I am sorry Faruk feels this way.  The board of supervisors have not taken a pay raise for over 2 years. And I do not plan to accept one this year. As to Mr. Minert, I have known him for years and believe Steve only wants what is best for Cerro Gordo county tax payers. Steve is a very successful businessman in north Iowa and is still a member of the comp board.”

This is an evolving story.  Just prior to publication of this story, NIT received an email from Auditor Adam Wedmore explaining how he removed Mr. Jessa from the comp board:

Adam Wedmore, county auditor

“Faruk Jessa was appointed to the compensation board by Pat Wright when she was serving as Auditor due to the vacancy. After assuming the duties of Auditor Mr. Jessa contacted me and offered to resign as the Auditor’s Office appointee. Since Mr. Jessa was not appointed by me I wanted the opportunity to appoint a person of my own choosing to represent our office and asked for his resignation to which he agreed to submit. That same day Mr. Jessa contacted me and asked instead for me to submit to him a notice that to rescind his appointment which I did on December 12th, 2018. The following day, December 13th, 2018, Mr. Jessa emailed me a resignation letter. No further action has been taken to make an appointment.  Because of Mr. Jessa’s resignation I plan to make an appointment to the compensation board based on Iowa Code 331.905 which states “one member shall be appointed by each of the following county officers: the county auditor, county attorney, county recorder, county treasurer, and county sheriff.”

NIT will report further on this developing situation.

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