General (17)
Susana Barrios
From:Stephanie Mercadante <burglin.stephanie@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, July 28, 2026 5:51 PM
To:Public Comment
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] On Behalf of Dave Duran, District 1, Councilmember Ryan Balius
Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open
attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message.
For public comment on July 28, 2026:
There is one thing every one of these scandals has in common.
It's that taxpayers keep paying for the City's failures.
I think it's time we remind ourselves what the job of a City Council actually is.
Your job isn't to protect department heads or dirty cops.
It isn't to protect the City Manager or the City’s image.
Your job is to protect the public.
Your job is to ask difficult questions and to DEMAND accountability.
Your job is to oversee how taxpayer dollars are being spent.
And when something goes wrong, your job is to insist on transparency—not simply accept the first
explanation you're given. We already know Vanderpool didn’t tell you the truth. We know Linda Andal and
Debbie Moreno don’t either. And Greg Garcia is terrified of all of them.
Oversight isn't a suggestion. It's your responsibility.
You weren't elected to rubber-stamp staff recommendations. You were elected to challenge them.
Because every time this Council chooses silence over scrutiny...
Every time it accepts assurances instead of demanding evidence...
Every time it avoids accountability...
The taxpayers are the ones who pay the price.
The taxpayers didn't elect seven spectators. They elected seven people to provide oversight.
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