I spent my younger days as a clerk in the U.S. Department of Justice, and then later as a Deputy Clerk for the United States District Court. There is one thing I know about being a government clerk – It is a hard job that requires attention to detail, integrity and ability to get along with people without regard to personal biases and political influence.
All these qualities best describe our City Clerk, Lisette Chel-Walker. Lisette has served us well over the last 37 years. She learned about public service from her father who was a long-time popular Assemblymember representing Long Beach. After moving to Laguna, Lisette worked over 25 years in our police department and since 2008 working in the City Clerk’s Office as Deputy City Clerk, later becoming City Clerk in her own right in 2012. In the last election in 2016, Lisette garnered more votes in her re-election for City Clerk than any elected official running for city office that year.
Yet, even our exemplary city clerk is not immune from the ugliness and character assassination of politics in this town. We have seen it by Liberate Laguna and now we see it against Lisette.
Accusations have been levied against Lisette because she chose to endorse a candidate for City Clerk that she feels is best suited for the job. She is being accused of not investigating reports about questionable political contributions made to the candidate she supports allegedly by the boyfriend of the other candidate (surprise, surprise).
But as Lisette aptly pointed out in a media release about enforcement of election-related matters, The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), not the City Clerk, is responsible for the enforcement of violations of the Political Refer Act and the FPPC reporting and disclosure form requirements. The City Clerk does not review or “police” these forms for accuracy.
Furthermore, Lisette has every right to endorse anybody she chooses to. Frankly, I don’t see the controversy with this. We have presidents who name who they want as their successor and every person who has ever held public office either endorses others to be their successor or endorses candidates for other offices. So why should the elected job of City Clerk be any different? Not many people have more knowledge of the job and what it takes to run the office than Lisette.
It is the type of vitriol against Lisette that is sadly endemic in our politics that I now question why we should even be electing the City Clerk at all. Out of the 34 cities in Orange County, only five have elected city clerks. Let’s give Lisette the tributes she deserves and wish her well with her future. Why is it that those who deserve thanks by those they serve go unappreciated, while the critics and naysayers get the attention? Not just sad about our politics—sad about who we are as a people. Thank you, Lisette.
Alan Boinus, Laguna Beach
