The two candidates in the June contest for Nevada County Auditor-Controller, represented by their respective lawyers, attended a hearing before Nevada County Superior Court Judge Robert Tice-Raskin today. The outcome of the hearing was a date set for both parties to meet and confer by August 3rd, then bring their conclusions to the court on August 10th for a hearing.
With all notices to appear properly served, the two parties appeared either in person or via Zoom, as did County Counsel for the Elections Office as an interested party. Several members of the county executive office were in the audience, as well as the current Auditor-Controller who is set to retire at the end of the year.
Rob Tribble, who won the June primary, was represented by attorney Brian Hildreth. His opponent in the race, Gina Will, was represented by attorney James Sutton. The complaint filed by Will seeks to find out if Tribble meets the required qualifications for the office. Until today, Tribble declined to present any evidence he meets the requirements.
This morning, Tribble filed a declaration with the court just before the hearing. According to the declaration, Tribble signed a contract in 2018 to manage a “complex sale of the assets of a $600 million privately-held company. The sale involved dividing the business for sale by the three primary owners of the business, to a potential buyer of the business.” Tribble stated in the declaration “I would estimate this project constituted an average of 40-hours per week beginning February, 1 2018 and lasting until approximately October 30, 2019.”
The declaration continues: “On July 1, 2018, I entered into another agreement with another company in a senior fiscal management capacity… My work under this agreement began July 1, 2018 and continues to the present, requiring almost daily fiscal management and analysis… I estimate the financial value of the company’s intellectual properties under my management is $60 million.”
A third contract is described as follows: “On March 29, 2019, I entered into a further agreement with the same company for 21 additional fiscal management of the company’s other intellectual properties… This further agreement also required me to “devote full time to the project for the Company,” which I did… This contract has been in effect since March 29, 2019 and remains in effect. During this time, I worked in a near full-time capacity on behalf of my client, as outlined in the contract... I estimate the financial value of these additional intellectual properties under my management to be $50 million, including future royalties over the next 20 years.”
The declaration continues to outline Tribble’s participation in the 2021 Grand Jury “In addition to the foregoing. in July 2021 I was selected to the Grand Jury of Nevada County and conducted financial and fiscal analyses on behalf of the Jury,” but fails to acknowledge his participation lasted only four months (July through October) after which he was replaced by an alternate.
The declaration does not name the companies, it lists three non-disclosure agreements.
Both parties will meet and attempt to come to a resolution, as directed by Judge Tice-Raskin. “I’ll see you all back on Wednesday, August 10, at 09:00 in the morning. Best of luck in connection with your meeting confer process. I’ll look forward to hearing what will hopefully be the fruitful results of that process by August 3rd. And if that process should not bear as much fruit as you all anticipate, I’ll look forward to receiving any requests for relief and your supporting authority and bear from there with also on August 3.”
Nevada County’s annual budget is approximately $330 million, in addition to the county’s budget, the Auditor Controller also oversees numerous special districts.