Chastisement by Trustees Fails to Pass
A Coast Community College District resolution that would have chastised trustee Armando R. Ruiz if he bolstered his pension failed Wednesday because four trustees abstained from voting.
District trustee Jerry Patterson’s was the only vote for the resolution, which declared it unethical for a trustee who planned to retire within 90 days to run for reelection. He is listed on the Nov. 2 ballot as an incumbent. The abstaining trustees were Ruiz, George Brown, Paul Berger and Walt Howald.
Ruiz hasn’t said whether he will retire from the district on Oct. 31, the same day he will officially retire from his counseling post at Irvine Valley College.
Because of a quirk in state law, if Ruiz retires from both posts on the same day, he can collect a double retirement. Ruiz said the board had no authority to interfere with his retirement.
Patterson said Ruiz announced his Irvine Valley retirement in May and knew before filing for reelection that he would not be an incumbent.
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