City Council elects Garcia new Bishop mayor
Garcia says post is part of his ‘american dream’
The Bishop City Council at its meeting Monday elected Mayor Pro Tem Jose Garcia to serve as the mayor of Bishop for the next calendar year.
Bishop City Council member Karen Kong was elected as mayor pro tem of the city.
During his comments regarding his election as mayor, Garcia first acknowledged that “we are meeting on what once was Payahuunadü, the land of the flowing waters and homeland of the Nüümü. I acknowledge, honor and respect their presence and continuous contribution to our community, and the socioeconomic, and cultural achievements of today’s Paiute people, who are still connected to this land on which we gather.”
Garcia said those who have lived in Bishop and are familiar with its challenges know that there are needs and desires “in our community that are greater than the city’s capacity.
Among the many issues that face Bishop, residents demand basic services, such as delivering clean water, providing for public safety through the city’s police and fire departments and that the city provide these and other services in a financially responsible manner,
Garcia said.
Regarding city staff,
Garcia said for the last two years the city has been assembling a team “with some of the smartest people in each department,” which he referred to as the “dream team.”
“Our staff is dedicated and committed to providing the best service services our community deserves,” he said.
Garcia said for him personally “Bishop is so much more than just a city with a big backyard – Bishop is a city with a big heart.”
“Bishop is my community, my home, and my children’s home,” he said. “It is for mine, and your children that I’m here. To me, Bishop is a community of values, hopes and dreams. Bishop is a community that values diversity, the beauty of its land
and natural resources; where we welcome all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, culture, and abilities. Regardless of where we may come from, we all share the same love for our natural resources, the dream of prosperity, and the passion for community service.”
Garcia recalled Dr. Jose Hernandez, son of migrant farm workers from
Mexico, who became an astronaut for NASA after being rejected 11 times – the first Mexican-borne astronaut.
“His (Hernandez’s) family’s story is just one of the millions of people who leave their homeland, and most of the time, leave behind their families, for an opportunity to have a better life in this country,” Garcia said. “I am one of those millions of people.”
He said he comes from a family that has always been involved in public and community service, which also has inspired him.
Garcia said that over the last 30 years, he has served on the boards of several organizations and agencies, including the city council, Bishop Union
High School, California Healthcare Interpreting Association, Inyo Council for the Arts, Inyo Mono Advocates for Community Action and Mule Days, among others.
Garcia said he sees being the mayor of Bishop as “more than an honorary title.
“It is one of the greatest honors of my life, one that I take very seriously,” he said. “See, coming to this country with nothing but a change of clothes, to becoming the city of Bishop’s mayor, 34 years later … This, this is my American dream, a dream come true.”
Garcia thanked his family, friends and supporters as well as his fellow council members.
During the meeting Adriana Gonzalez Carrillo, the head consul of the Consulate of Mexico in Fresno, California, congratulated Garcia and
Kong via Zoom. She noted that the Fresno consulate provides services for Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Inyo and seven other counties in California.
Audited Financial
Statements
During Monday’s meeting, Ethan Aukee, the city’s assistant finance director, reviewed some of the highlights from the city’s 2022 - 2023 Audited Financial Statements.
He noted that as required by government code, each year the city of Bishop undergoes an independent audit of the city’s basic financial statements to ensure they are in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
Aukee said Larry Bain, CPA, performed the independent audit and provided his opinion that the city’s financial statements fairly represent the city’s financial position as of June 30, 2023, and the financial statements conform with generally accepted accounting principles.
Some of the highlights Aukee noted were:
• With regard to tax revenue within the General Fund, the city initially budgeted for $8,618,881, adjusted its budget to $8,809,381 and actually earned $9,937,940; 85% of the tax revenue in excess of budget is from Transient Occupancy Tax.
• With regard to license and permit revenue within the General Fund, the city initially budgeted for $193,546, did not adjust its budget and actually earned $288,889; 73% of the license and permit revenue in excess of budget is from building permits.