Community Coalition Launches Grassroots Campaign to Hold El Dorado County Board of Supervisors Accountable
October 8, 2025
‘Hold El Dorado Accountable’ Coalition Urges Residents to Join Campaign
to Stop the Backroom Deals and End Automatic Pay Raises
A coalition of El Dorado County residents, business owners, taxpayer organizations, unions, and County employees today announced the launch of Hold El Dorado Accountable – a grassroots campaign targeting the County Board of Supervisors for violating the will of voters by slashing critical community services while rubber-stamping another round of double-digit pay raises of up to an additional $31,000 for an elite group of County leaders.
Hold El Dorado Accountable activists are calling out the Board of Supervisors for its actions related to Charter Section 504, which included automatic pay increases for non-elected, sworn peace officers – not elected officials and not non-sworn employees.
The coalition is urging residents to visit its website www.holdeldoradoaccountable.com where they can email their Supervisors directly to remind them that they were elected to represent all County residents, not just a privileged few, and that we need to restore services along with transparency and fairness to our government to make sure the safety and quality of life of every County resident is protected and preserved.
“This campaign is about fairness and transparency, but it’s also about protecting the safety and preserving the quality of lives for everyone here in El Dorado County, not just a privileged, inside few,” said coalition partner and El Dorado County resident Shannon Starr, Operating Engineers Local 3 Public Sector Business Agent. “This Board just passed a budget that provides automatic pay raises for seven positions that should not be included, and then they went ahead and slashed vital services for the most-vulnerable County citizens under the guise of fiscal austerity. We’re going to hold this Board accountable for its actions and take our campaign to the people to make sure their voices are heard.”
“Section 504 has turned into a budget time bomb,” said coalition partner Lee Tannenbaum, President of the Taxpayers Association of El Dorado County. “What began as a pay-parity safeguard for deputies is now distorting County finances and creating deep inequities. Non-504 employees are left behind while payroll costs soar, draining resources from essential services and undermining morale across the workforce.”
“We’re fighting so the people who work in El Dorado County can afford to live in the community they serve. When that happens, everybody wins, but I’m not sure if this Board of Supervisors shares that same goal,” said Jen Rimoldi, coalition partner and President EDCEA, AFSCME/Local 1. “These Supervisors are handing out double-digit pay raises to already highly paid leaders, while skilled and experienced workers are leaving El Dorado County in record numbers for better-paying jobs in surrounding counties. It’s hypocritical, it’s callous, it isn’t fair, and it’s just plain wrong.”
Over the coming weeks, Hold El Dorado Accountable volunteers will be mobilizing residents and businesses to join their fight for safety, transparency and fairness to maintain our unique quality of life for all residents of the County so they can afford to keep calling El Dorado County their home.
