Bergeron makes bid for Cook's District 1 seat

By Earl Bolender
March 12, 2008

Leo “T” Bergeron, who is running against Jim Cook for the Siskiyou County District 1 supervisor seat, said he decided to throw his hat into the ring to work for the betterment of the county.

“In order to be effective, you need to be on the inside,” Bergeron said. “That is the only way you can make an appreciable difference. I believe I have the knowledge, experience, the will and the determination to do the job and do it right.”

Bergeron, who has resided in Siskiyou County for nearly 20 years, is in the insurance business, owns a ranch in Montague, is active in the Greenhorn Grange, and is a former Grand Master of the California Grange.

“I am proud of our county, its beauty and quality of life, and I am tired of seeing it be eroded every time we turn around,” Bergeron said. “Whether it is timber, water, fish or air, we have given and negotiated until our farms, ranches, schools and way of life have been harmed, and it is only getting worse.”

Bergeron said it is time for the Board of Supervisors to take a proactive stand on issues facing the county.

“I unsuccessfully ran for Joan Smith's District 1 seat in 2002 to try and make a difference,” Bergeron said. “Nothing has changed in the past eight years. The board is an administrative body that looks at finances. But, it has not taken a proactive stand in protecting our county's resources. By being on the inside, I can hopefully have a positive impact on the rest of the board.”

He said the issues facing Siskiyou County that need to be addressed include loss of state and federal funding for schools and roads, loss of property tax credit for agriculture, depletion of the timber industry, and a 12 percent unemployment rate.

“Now, there is a push by federal and state agencies and other entities to take out our dams, limit our property rights, take away our water rights, and destroy property values along the rivers that will result in a serious property tax loss to the county,” Bergeron said. “It's time to take a stand and say enough.

“I go by Leo T,” Bergeron said. “When people ask me what the T stands for, I say trouble. I'm a strong-willed, determined man who has the knowledge and experience to provide a strong voice for the people of Siskiyou County .”

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