ignoring it won’t make it go away.

What happened at the April 21st Board of Supervisors meeting should concern every single person who lives here.

Serious Allegations Raised Publicly

During public comment, a resident of the greater Mother Lode community stood at the podium and outlined a series of serious allegations against Supervisor Anaiah Kirk.

According to that statement, a sworn complaint has been submitted to the California Fair Political Practices Commission Enforcement Division alleging numerous serious violations of the Political Reform Act, including failure to disclose secondary income on required schedules of FPPC Form 700, conflicts of interest, misuse of public resources, and other potential misconduct tied to financial disclosures, explicitly blurring the line between public office and personal business on social media.

There were also credible claims that multiple agencies may be involved in reviewing these concerns, that I have since verified.

Let’s be clear, these are allegations. But they are not minor.

Allegations involving financial disclosures and conflicts of interest strike at the core of public trust. If proven true, they would represent serious violations of the responsibility entrusted to elected officials and of the Political Reform Act.

And when allegations like this are raised publicly… silence is not acceptable.

You can see the public comment yourself here at the beginning of the meeting [2:15]

Then Something Happened That No One Expected

Immediately following that, something occurred that stopped the room.

Dore Bietz, our Office of Emergency Services Director, stood at the podium and announced her resignation. She didn’t come out attacking anyone. She didn’t make accusations. Instead, she did something much more powerful.

She thanked everyone.

She thanked CAL FIRE leadership. She thanked the Sheriff’s Office. She thanked county departments, utilities, schools, and emergency partners. She spoke about coordination, teamwork, and the work being done to keep this county safe.

And then… she said this

“I truly believe that OES should not fall under law or fire or any elected office… it is not personal… it is about organizational structure.”

She made it clear. This wasn’t about people. This wasn’t about conflict This was about how emergency services should function

And then, after saying she respects the Board’s decisions, she said

“This morning, I formally gave my resignation.”

Office of Emergency Services Director, Dore Bietz

Moments later, she was emotional at the podium. That is not normal. You do not see experienced, respected emergency leadership walk away like that without something deeper going on. And everyone in that room knew it. Because this wasn’t just a resignation.

This was the loss of one of the most dedicated public safety leaders this county has had. Dore Bietz didn’t just do her job, she lived it.

It’s widely known that she worked well beyond a standard 40 hour week, often putting in another 20 hours or more securing grants to fund the very programs that keep this county prepared for emergencies.

That’s not required. That’s commitment. That’s someone going above and beyond to make sure Tuolumne County was safer, more prepared, and better equipped for whatever comes next.

And now she’s gone. Not after years of winding down. Not with a long planned transition. But suddenly, and publicly, in a moment that caught nearly everyone off guard.

When someone like that leaves under those circumstances, people notice. And they ask why. Because this isn’t happening in isolation. It is part of a growing pattern where experienced, committed individuals are stepping away and the county is left to absorb the loss.

And Then Despite All of This The Vote Happened

In that same meeting, the Board moved forward with a 3–2 vote to defund CAL FIRE Station 56.

Let’s be clear about what that means. One fire station eliminated. One engine removed. Six firefighters gone

This isn’t speculation. It’s documented.

The county’s agreement with CAL FIRE was reduced by $2.37 million, tied directly to the removal of six positions in the 2026–2027 fiscal year. That’s not just a number. That’s people. That’s response capability. That’s coverage.

Last year alone, Station 56 responded to over 1,200 calls. Now ask yourself. What happens when those calls still come in but fewer resources are available? Hopefully the worst doesn’t happen.

This Has Real Consequences

This decision doesn’t live on paper. It plays out in real time. Longer response times. More strain on remaining crews. Increased risk to homes, families, and firefighters

And yes, it will affect our insurance. At a time when homeowners are already being dropped or priced out, reducing fire protection sends exactly the wrong message.

Look at the Pattern

All of this happened in one meeting. Serious allegations involving ethics and financial disclosures. The sudden resignation of the county’s emergency services leader. A vote to reduce fire protection capacity heading into fire season.

That is not normal. That is not stability. And it should concern every person in this county.

Because this isn’t just about one meeting or one decision.

This is about what happens when leadership begins to lose continuity, experience and depth of knowledge, all at the same time.

Over a short period, we have seen a growing number of experienced, long serving leaders step away from their roles. These are people who carried deep institutional knowledge. The kind you cannot replace overnight, and the kind that matters most during emergencies, crises, and complex decision making.

When that kind of experience leaves, it doesn’t just create vacancies. It creates gaps. Gaps in coordination. Gaps in institutional knowledge. Gaps in preparedness. Gaps in leadership. And those gaps don’t show up on an agenda. They show up when something goes wrong.

This is not how strong organizations operate. In any well run system, public or private, stability, continuity, and institutional knowledge are treated as assets to be protected and preserved, not lost. Because when you remove too many experienced voices at once, you are not just changing leadership. You are weakening the system itself. And at a time when our region faces increasing wildfire risk, rising insurance pressures, and growing uncertainty, this is not the direction we should be heading.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about whether we are making decisions that strengthen this county. Or decisions that leave it more vulnerable.

This Is About Trust

This is about whether the people making decisions for this county are operating with transparency, accountability, and a clear commitment to public safety. Right now, there are more questions than answers.

We Cannot Ignore This

The public deserves clarity. If there is an investigation, we deserve transparency. If there are explanations, we deserve to hear them. If decisions are made that affect our safety, they must be justified clearly and honestly. Because leadership is not just about holding a position. It’s about earning trust, and keeping it.

My Final Thoughts

Pay attention. Ask questions. Please stay engaged. Because this is not someone else’s problem. This is our county. Our safety. Our future.

Something Is Wrong in Tuolumne County Leadership