DA ABSOLVES AGOURA HILLS COUNCIL : COUNTY OFFICE SAYS ANTI-TAX GROUP'S CLAIMS OF WRONGDOING UNFOUNDED.Byline: R.A. Hutchinson Daily News Staff Writer The Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County District Attorney's Office has dismissed as unfounded allegations of wrongdoing wrong·do·er n. One who does wrong, especially morally or ethically. wrong  do leveled against the Agoura Hills City Council by Citizens Against New Local Taxes. In a series of four letters sent to the District Attorney's Office between August 1994 and August 1995, the anti-tax group claimed the City Council had misused public money and violated vi·o·late tr.v. vi·o·lat·ed, vi·o·lat·ing, vi·o·lates 1. To break or disregard (a law or promise, for example). 2. To assault (a person) sexually. 3. the Brown Act. The District Attorney's Office reported back last month that investigators had found no grounds to pursue criminal charges. ``We've been vindicated,'' Councilman Denis Denis, king of Portugal: see Diniz. Weber said Thursday, the morning after the council released results of the investigation to the public. ``The accusations and innuendoes that go out really damage the city. The district attorney had to spend taxpayers' dollars to refute re·fute tr.v. re·fut·ed, re·fut·ing, re·futes 1. To prove to be false or erroneous; overthrow by argument or proof: refute testimony. 2. these charges.'' Barbara Murphy, the founder of the anti-tax group that formed after the City Council approved a utility users tax in June 1994, said Thursday that she remains unconvinced that council members have done nothing wrong. ``I don't think the letter, by any means, clears them,'' Murphy said. ``The DA's letter said they couldn't find sufficient evidence. . . . That does not mean wrongdoing did not occur.'' The California Secretary of State's Office is conducting a separate inquiry into allegations by the anti-tax group that council members interfered with signature gathering for recall petitions targeting the five council members. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the District Attorney's Office, the group's leadership claimed that council members had used tax money improperly to mail fliers to city residents outlining budget concerns that included projected revenue from the new tax. The group also accused the council members of violating the Brown Act - a state law that requires proper public notification and access when governmental agencies meet - and of using names from the recall petitions to exert pressure against a local businessman. In addition, City Clerk In the United States, a City Clerk is an elected or appointed official who is responsible as the official keeper of the municipal records. In some places, the Clerk may be known as the "Village Clerk" or "Town Clerk". Pat Manning and Councilwoman Fran Pavley Fran Pavley is a Democratic politician and previously served as a California Assemblywoman and as the first mayor of the Southern California community of Agoura Hills. She served as a Mayor and Councilmember for four terms. were accused of having conflicts of interest involving work with the city. Deputy District Attorney Daniel V. Nixon said the resulting review by his department's Special Investigations Division found no grounds for further investigation on any of the allegations. ``The letter speaks for itself,'' Nixon said. ``It all gets looked into one way or another.'' A referendum is scheduled for June 25 on the utility tax. The ballot measure was approved following recent court interpretations of a state law governing such taxes. A dispute over the validity of signatures on the recall petitions is still pending in Los Angeles Superior Court. |
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