Whitley Retires Dist 5

Supervisor for District 5 Pat Whitley is retiring.  She's worked hard for the people of the county, and been as tight fisted as anybody with the people's money.  Thanks, Pat, for your work on behalf the county!

Here is Ms. Whitley's letter:

To the People of District 5 and the County of Sierra:

To the People of District 5 and the County of Sierra:

With deep regret I announce my intention not to seek a 5th term and to retire as District 5 Supervisor at the end of this term. While serving the people of Sierra County and most specifically the people of District 5 for 16 years has truly been one of the greatest pleasures of my life, “It's time”.

I am so very thankful to the people of District 5 for allowing me to represent them and occupy their seat for so many years.

We've had both good times and bad, survived fire and floods, but we've always worked together and become stronger in spite of it. However there are things I hope to conclude before leaving office like the Sierra Brooks Water System. I will continue to work toward that end until my very last day.

Leaving office doesn't preclude me from other service; in fact it gives me a greater opportunity as a citizen without government restraints. There are projects that benefit the community that I will continue to serve on as a member of the public, just not as a government official. I'll now be able as a private citizen to work with you holding our representatives feet to the fire and making them responsive and responsible toward our concerns and our pocketbooks.

I know that the voters of District 5 will choose a new representative with great care as we have in the past and will certainly have in the future some very tough fiscal times.

I am proud to say as your representative and the senior member on the Board of Supervisors that while many counties are up to their eyebrows in debt (so to speak) we, the second smallest county in California, have managed to stay solvent. That isn't by accident my friends, it's because of the tough decisions, sometimes unpopular, that sometimes need to be made. Future boards will face new and different challenges, but challenges just the same.

I close with this thought--with the growth of government comes the contraction of liberties.

Sincerely,
Supervisor Pat Whitley
proudly serving District 5 and Sierra County.