Joehnck enters race for supervisor

Land-use attorney Bob Joehnck announced Friday he is running for the south county's District 2 county supervisors seat, while county Planning Commissioner Laura Duncan said she is bowing out.

"The timing isn't good for me and my family," said Duncan, a conservative. "I wish both candidates and anyone else who declares the best of luck."

As a member of Nevada County's Democratic Central Committee, Joehnck brings an apparent philosophical bent to the nonpartisan race against remaining opponent Alan Kilborn.

In a press release, Joehnck said he is a Sierra Club member and has worked extensively with the Citizens Concerned about Traffic and the Wolf Creek Community Alliance.

"There is clearly a lot of on-the-ground concern for keeping the county the beautiful rural haven it is," Joehnck said. "In my opinion, everything that comes before the board (of supervisors) development-wise, gets the stamp of approval. I'd like to go back to protecting the county."

Conservative Kilborn was endorsed by outgoing Supervisor Sue Horne at a fundraiser for him last weekend. Horne is not running for supervisor again, vying instead for the state 3rd District Assembly race nomination from the Republican party.

Duncan was the first to announce her candidacy, in November, and had been quiet about her campaign since. She did not get Horne's endorsement, despite Horne's having kept Duncan as her commission representative for the past eight years.

Kilborn said he did not know Joehnck, but welcomed the competition.

"You should always have more than one choice," Kilborn said Friday. "May the best person for the job win."

The current supervisor said she endorsed Kilborn because of his dedication to public safety, demonstrated through his job as training manager for the Rocklin Police Department, and for his strong stance on property rights

The newest candidate said the county and its cities need to come up with a master development plan to avert sprawl.

"We stand to become like North Auburn if we don't do something about it," Joehnck said. "It's totally unplanned growth that looks like downtown Yuba City."

An agreement between the county and cities could use shared sales tax and eliminate the competition for it that breeds bad development, Joehnck said.

Joehnck is "concerned that both elected and appointed county officials have drifted too far from representing the needs of the people, and are too influenced by big money interests," he said.

The Cascade Shores wastewater treatment plant rebuilding situation stemming from a landslide "mystified" Joehnck. The board recently voted to not repay $500,000 the county had lent itself to deal with the treatment plant.

"Now there's forgiveness of $500,000 which otherwise would belong to the general fund because of that," Joehnck said. "Fiscal missteps seem to be every other step."

The county's current unfunded pension liabilities for workers who will eventually retire also bothers Joehnck, as well.

"That it has been allowed to occur is a mystery to me," he said.