CITY TARGETS ILLEGAL HOUSING — The dilapidated sheds, shacks, and camper shells, which are home during the harvest season to thousands of migrant workers, have been targeted by city officials. A previously understaffed building department had been unable to keep a lid on illegal housing in the city. Illegal labor camps and boarding houses abound in the city, particularly in southeast Madera where as many as three out of five residences house farm workers in backyards. Over the years, the housing of these workers has shifted from farms to anywhere the workers can find housing. City officials are worried about the impact the cleanup will have on farm workers. “If they are put out of these places, they’re going to be in the streets, in the parks, or in automobiles,” said attorney Margaret McCarthy of California Rural Legal Assistance.
SEYMOUR DEFEATS HAHN — Madera County Sheriff Glen Seymour is hoping his department can get back to the business of serving people after his reelection Tuesday night. Seymour defeated challenger Al Hahn by getting 57 percent of the vote. “Working and running a campaign at the same time takes a lot of time,” Seymour said. Seymour picked up 6,646 votes while Hahn, the chief of the Department of Corrections and former employee of the Sheriff’s Department, garnered 5,013 votes. Seymour ran strong in his hometown of Chowchilla and the county’s outlying areas, and Hahn ran well in the Madera area. It is no secret that the two men are at odds with each other. Four years ago, Seymour unseated Ovonual Berkeley, who had been supported by Hahn.
DESMOND WINS RACE FOR TAX COLLECTOR — Tracy Kennedy Desmond avoided a runoff election and won the post of tax collector-treasurer with 53 percent of the vote Tuesday. In unofficial tallies, Desmond came away with 5,564 votes compared to 3,225 for Robert Wilson and 1,640 for Mary McFarlane Murray. Desmond ran a high profile campaign based on innovations she has made in the tax collector-treasurer’s office since she assumed functional control from retiring Tax Collector Janice Whipkey about a year ago. Desmond has held the position of assistant tax collector since 1987. Charges by her challengers of inefficiency apparently did not sway voters to cast their lots against her.
GINSBURG MUST FACE BENNETT IN RUNOFF — District 2 Supervisor Al Ginsburg will face challenger Curtis Bennett in November’s general election. Ginsburg netted 1,190 votes or 46 percent, while Bennett, a former Chowchilla mayor and city councilman, received 966 votes, or 37 percent. Candidate Kathy Horn, current mayor of Chowchilla, acted as spoiler receiving 17 percent or 435 votes. Ginsburg has served four terms on the Board of Supervisors as well as past terms on the Chowchilla City Council. Bennett had served for 10 years on the Chowchilla City Council. During his campaign, Bennett noted Ginsburg is “perceived by many to have a conflict of interest as supervisor and developer.” ...