Central Basin Municipal Water Candidate Stinnett Demoted From Commerce City Job

By Brian Hews and Randy Economy

Commerce city employee Jason Stinnette was seen at last Monday morning’s meeting of the Central Basin Municipal Water District Board of Directors at 11 a.m. “Stinnette should have been doing this job at city hall instead of campaigning on tax payer resources by attending this meeting,” said Commerce community leader Mike Alvarado. Randy Economy Photo.

Hews Media Group-Community News has confirmed through a public records request that Jason Stinnette, who is running for election for the Division 3 Seat on the Central Basin Municipal Water District, was demoted from the position of Public Information Officer in the City of Commerce down to a Media Specialist back in November 2013.

HMG-CN has reported in the past number of months that the controversial Stinnette has been attending Central Basin Board Meetings during regular working hours while tax payers in Commerce pay for his salary and benefits.

In light of that, HMG-CN requested the pay stubs for Stinnette from January 2013 to the present from city officials at Commerce City Hall under the Freedom of Information Act.

The records confirm that Stinnette was paid $41.82 per hour, earning over $1,600 a week as the Public Information Officer for Commerce from Jan.-Jul. 2013.

In August 2013, Stinnette received a raise to $43.93 per hour, an increase of 5%.

“That, in and of itself is outrageous, Mr. Stinnette does nothing for the city except publishing the newsletter once per month. Stinnette is very good friends with Commerce council-members Tina Baca Del Rio, Ivan Altimirano, Lilia Leon, and Mayor Joe Aguilar, in fact he heavily supported their campaigns, it is no wonder they turned a blind eye to his job performance,” said Mike Alvarado, a resident of Commerce and an outspoken critic of the current city council majority.

Three months later he was demoted to Media Specialist and his salary was cut 23% to $33.92 per hour.

“They (the council-members and Mayor) must have finally figured it out, when this newspaper brought everything to light,” Alvarado said.

Stinnette is running against current Division 3 incumbent Art Chacon in the upcoming November 2014 General Election. Stinnette is also using the name “Jason Gardea Stinnette” as his ballot name in the fall campaign, HMG-CN has learned.

HMG-CN asked the city for any documentation pertaining to the demotion of Stinnette but was told, “The city cannot release any documents for the reason they are part of employee confidential file.”

HMG-CN also emailed Stinnette with no response at the time of publication.