Off Beat: Local governing bodies in doldrums

The wheels seem to be coming off in Yuba-Sutter.

Over on the Marysville side, the city is running out of money and can't pay its cops a competitive wage. They seem surprised by this. Just why they are surprised is a bit of a puzzle.

Over on the Sutter County side, they're still trying to figure out that animal shelter thing.

They — Yuba City, Sutter County and Live Oak, but mostly Yuba City and Sutter County — are just a bit at loggerheads about employee issues at the new and improved animal shelter, which may get built, or maybe not.

And at Yuba College, the trustees sort of got all confused about bond financing and interest and complicated things like that.

The right questions weren't asked, and if they were, nobody was listening to the answers.

It's democracy in action, and it's a wonderful thing to behold.

Marysville has been the sad sack of the area for many years, as Yuba-Sutter grew, but the city didn't.

Those levees protected Marysville from flooding and kept the city hemmed in.

Annexation was always a dream denied for city fathers. Nobody in the unincorporated areas wanted services from a dysfunctional city.

It seemed to be all about the city manager, who's out the door. Not his problem.

So the city has to decide what to do about its Police Department. Contracting with Yuba County for law enforcement was an option mentioned many, many years ago as the city's finances grew more dire, but it never took root.

What's in that big building right across the street from City Hall? Oh, it's the Yuba County Sheriff's Department. Maybe the walk across the street is too far.

As for Yuba City and Sutter County, the animal shelter mess was way too complex for them, even when they thought they had it solved. Memos fly back and forth. Politicians scratch their heads.

The Yuba College bond financing oops was certainly delicious. Even the Sacramento newspaper noted the weirdness of decisions made by the trustees. And it takes a lot for the Sacramento newspaper to take notice of life in Yuba-Sutter.

Things may eventually get sorted out. Elections loom in November. New people may be elected to office. They may promise to fix the mess. Maybe they will; maybe they'll make it worse. Be sure to vote early and often.

And one more thing: Leslie McBride is no longer on the Yuba City City Council. Did you even notice she was on the council?