Bill Postmus

William John Postmus (born May 3, 1971) is the former County Assessor of San Bernardino County. He was first elected in 2000 to the County Board of Supervisors. He was reelected in March 2004 to serve for a second four-year term representing the largest county district in the nation, encompassing more than including most of the Mojave Desert. The First Supervisorial District includes the cities of Adelanto, Apple Valley, Barstow, Hesperia, Needles, Twentynine Palms and Victorville. He was elected to the post of County Assessor in November 2006, took office in January 2007, and resigned in February 2009 while under investigation by the Grand Jury of the County of San Bernardino for using public resources for political activities.
Supervisorial career
During his first term on the Board, Postmus led a successful effort to increase the minimum share of property tax revenues returned to cities when they add new areas to their boundaries. This year, the Board of Supervisors will consider approving Postmus' proposal to further increase cities' property tax share to stimulate economic development in certain areas.
Upon becoming Chairman, Postmus proposed the county's new $3-million plan to boost economic development efforts. He also successfully pushed for a relocation and expansion of the Victorville branch of the Land Use Services Department. Additionally, Postmus secured funds requested by District Attorney Mike Ramos to establish an "Identity Theft" unit, to provide specialized prosecutors and an investigator along with equipment and training, to address the growing problem of identity theft crimes.
Other public safety upgrades that were approved during Postmus' term as Chairman include a plan to increase Fire Department funding by an additional $5.4 million as well as the addition of 37 new Sheriff's deputies to patrol the County's unincorporated areas. This is the most significant expansion of officers in the past 20 years. Additionally, the Board agreed to purchase six new Sheriff's helicopters to replace the county's aging fleet, and a $4.6-million "War on Gangs" was initiated to provide the Sheriff, District Attorney and Probation Department with resources to better monitor, apprehend, incarcerate and convict gang members. Another new program tracks sex offenders in the County's Probation system using global satellite monitoring devices. Finally, to alleviate overcrowding and avoid the early release of criminals, the Board recently purchased a new jail in Adelanto, and approved a program to enable the Sheriff to better identify illegal aliens in county jails to help ensure deportation and to maximize federal reimbursement for the cost of jailing illegal aliens.
Assessor's Office
Postmus narrowly defeated Donald Williamson in November 2006 for the post of County Assessor. Postmus took office in January 2007, leaving his position on the Board of Supervisors.
Biography
Postmus was Chairman of the San Bernardino County Republican Party He is also Past President and a Board Member of San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG), the County's Transportation Authority, and he is Past Chairman and a member of the Governing Board of the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District.
Postmus was Chairman of the Victor Valley Economic Development Authority (VVEDA), a redevelopment joint powers authority whose boundaries include the Southern California Logistics Airport (formerly George Air Force Base). He also serves on several additional governing boards, including the Victor Valley Transit Authority, the Morongo Basin Transit Authority, and the Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation District. A member of the Public Lands Steering Committee of the National Association of Counties, Supervisor Postmus is an outspoken advocate for private property rights and access to public lands.
Prior to being elected, Postmus worked for the California State Assembly for seven years. A native Californian, Postmus was a co-owner of a small business in the Victor Valley, and is a former Vice Chairman of the City of Victorville Planning Commission. He lives in the City of Hesperia and is a member of High Desert Church.
Postmus is a graduate of Serrano High School in Phelan. He holds an Associate of Science Degree in Business Management from Victor Valley College and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and Management from the University of Redlands.
Postmus took a 10 week medical leave on August 8, 2008. [http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/postmus_7899___article.html/_.html?orderbyTimeStampDescending&showRecommendedOnly0&oncommentsPage=3#slComments Victor Valley Daily Press]
Allegations of Corruption
The Grand Jury of the County of San Bernardino recently investigated Postmus and his Assessors office after reports that he was using the office as a political tool to increase fundraising for the Republican party and his own political ambitions. Included in the investigation was the arrest of Assistant Assessor Adam Aleman, a longtime friend of Postmus, who was charged with six felony counts in connection with fabricating and destroying county records at the Assessors office.
Search warrants were also served at the Assessors office in April, 2008 in connection with the Grand Jury investigation. Desktop and laptop computers were removed from his office. The search warrant is said to have been connected to Postmus using public resources for political activities.
A grand jury inquiry, which spun off an investigation by the district attorney and led to the arrest of Postmus' top assistant, chronicled a number of abuses of power in the Assessor's Office.
The grand jury report faulted the assessor for using $1.2 million to hire an executive staff with little experience in property tax appraisals.
The report also revealed that staffers had been engaging in partisan politics on county time.
On January 15, 2009, Postmus was arrested for felony possession of methamphetamine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia after San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant on his home.
On February 6, 2009, Postmus resigned his position as Assessor for the County of San Bernardino, effective February 13.
On March 28, 2011 Bill Postmus pled guilty to three felony charges. He faces five years in prison for Conspiracy to Accept a Bribe (Penal Code 182) and Conflict of Interest (Government Code 1090) in the Colonies Conspiracy case for actions while he was Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, and to Misappropriation of Public Funds (Penal Code 424) while he was County Assessor in that separate case.

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