F I R S T A M E N D M E N T C O A L I T I O N

P r e s e n t e d t o

i n r e c o g n i t i o n o f

o u t s t a n d i n g

c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o

t h e p e o p l e ’ s

r i g h t t o k n o w ,

In 2011, when Loomis F ire Chief DAvid Wheeler was elected to the

Town Council, branch, with the help of two other concerned cit i-

zens, marilyn Jasper and Janet Thew, began to regularly attend

board meetings and seek public documents to hold officials

accountable. They learned that Wheeler was collecting a

$137,000-a-year CalPERS pension while working as a CalPERS-

covered f ire chief in Loomis, a practice CalPERS had warned in

2010 he had to stop. Despite tremendous resistance from local

officials, Branch kept up the presure and in October, his dil i-

gence paid off when an administrative judge ordered Wheeler and

the F ire District to repay CalPERS, a decision Later upheld by the

full CalPERS board without hearings.

award 2015

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