Council Lends Money to Itself

With the Municipal Advisory Council’s treasury down to a meager $92.57 and monthly bills of about $200 coming due, council members were hoping for a flood of donations from residents of this unincorporated community. Instead, Diamond Bar’s only elected representatives had to dig into their own pockets to keep local government afloat.

The council voted unanimously to have each member chip in $40 a month until it receives revenues from future fund-raising events. Unlike a similar bailout scheme funded by council members in 1986, this is not a donation.

“It’s basically a loan,” said Dan Buffington, the council’s treasurer. “I’m very adamant that we as MAC members should not have to support the MAC. We already donate our time. I think once we get going with the fund-raisers, we’ll be able to start paying (ourselves) back.”

When county officials formed the council in 1976, they stipulated that the five-member elected board had to subsist on community donations. The group’s largest source of revenue is a monthly “pizza night,” in which a local pizza parlor donates 20% of its receipts. Last month’s event earned $105.