by 
With the oncoming election just around the corner I thought I should set the record straight for some of the people in Mammoth. Yes, I stepped down as Mayor and town Manager. The reason I did so was to save my reputation and the work I have invested in the town of Mammoth. I left the town with $125K of funds in our bank accounts. $37K in reserve funding and $9K in our building account. All past due accounts are paid in full. The town is in the black and for the past 18 months the funding has steadily increased in a positive way.
Councilpersons Brewer, Gallego, Wickham and Medina were all involved in the town nearly going broke. Taxes not paid. Bills not paid. Bounced payroll checks. An excellent example of an incompetent council is the garbage collection was costing more than the town collected in revenue.
When I came on board as Mayor/Manager I hired Pat Walker Consulting to help in all of the town’s financial issues. There were many problems but with Ms. Walkers help the town was up and running in the black due to tax raises, budget cuts, personnel cuts, and over 40 years of business management from myself.
Now that the town is up and running in the black the four councilpersons decided that I needed to go and they could run the town better than myself. They then started to remove me from the Manager/Mayor positions. I then stepped down with absolutely no thanks for turning the town around and 18 months of daily work I have invested in the town.
Now, back to the four councilpersons. From the four councilpersons mentioned above I never received any help. No offers to help just complains by Councilman Brewer. I would never see these persons only at council meetings.The only councilman to offer help was Councilman Sloan. He called daily to offer help or sign checks. Erica, Bob Sloan and Pat Walker were the most help in turning the town around. The four above councilpersons voted to not give Erica a raise that would still be under many dollars what a town clerk is paid. The four would vote against any issue that would help the town. The oath of office seems to not matter in their way of thinking. If the council votes against the Mayor in all issues then there is no point in staying on board because my issues were for the betterment of the town and its future.
Councilman Brewer wanted me to appoint him to Public Works Director. With a complaint from a woman against him of a personal nature and his wanting to fire our then PW’s foreman, I felt he was not qualified to hold that position. If I had placed him in that position I would be like all the other persons believing in nepotism. I do not! He has hated me ever since. He was given a quarterly report and kept saying he did not receive one. Fact is he had it but couldn’t read it. His continual whines forced Pat Walker to resign. Erica to step down as clerk and myself to step down as Mayor/Manager and Public Works Director. This alone has saved the town approximately $200K plus. When you are working for free and all you get is negative then it’s time to move on and leave Brewer digging for dirt!
Councilwoman Wickham operates in the same manner. She only wants persons she likes with no regard to qualifications. I have never met two persons with so much hate for their fellow town persons. She is good at making recommendations but I have not seen her perform any work herself. I am told she has wanted to be Mayor for years and by removing me and the town in the black gives her a short time to be Mayor. Only two more weeks to go and Brewer and Wickham might set a record for the shortest time in office! That is if the people of Mammoth see that those two are the biggest detriment to the town. Please do not let them bring the town down again. Oh, by the way, the town funding is going down instead of up like it has been for the past 18 months!
Sincerely,
/s/ Don Jones
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
by by