Double duty for Modesto City Council winner

Substitute teacher John Gunderson gained a Modesto City Council seat this month, and a steady paycheck. He still sits on the Stanislaus Union School District board, where trustees get health benefits.

The outspoken Facebook poster frankly admits that's why he's hanging onto his school board seat as long as possible. But state conflict-of-interest laws will likely force the issue.

"Going to try and stay. Some say I can't. Some say no problem. I lose health insurance if I leave so that gives me incentive to stay," he messaged. Gunderson was elected to the Stanislaus Union board in 2009, and his term ends in 2013.

As a school board trustee, he gets a stipend of $220 a month and used that to offset some of the cost of his district health care coverage.

Reached Friday, Gunderson said the City Council's $2,000 a month salary was one of his reasons for running for a second elected position, noting that substitute teaching didn't always pay the bills. "There were times we were worried about having food," he said.

"I'm not going to get rich off this," Gunderson said. "It's a part of it. But a big part of it was I wanted to move forward, not get stuck. I can figure it out. I'm not going to get a teaching job any time soon."

In his candidate biography submitted to The Bee, Gunderson said he has a bachelor's degree in business administration, but needs two semesters of internships to complete his teaching credential.

Being a councilman will make him stand out, which might lead to a job, he said. But he also is excited about doing the work of a city leader.

"I like a challenge. This will be new and difficult and really interesting," he said, adding, "I can do some good. I know I can."

He said he just learned Tuesday the city does not offer council members health coverage. He now has school district coverage for himself, his wife and two kids, ages 20 and 17. At 55, Gunderson says he faces an "age penalty" trying to get individual coverage.

"The school district doesn't have a problem with it," he said of serving on both panels. "We talked about it in closed (session)."

The Stanislaus Union board met Thursday night.

Susan Swigart of the California School Boards Association said most school boards offer some level of health benefits. Just over half also offer monthly stipends, but the law limits those to $60 for tiny districts to about $1,500 for the largest.

Stanislaus Union has a little more than 3,000 students this year. Modesto City Schools, with about 30,000 students, pays each trustee a stipend of $689 a month plus $258 toward health insurance.

City attorney sends letter

Gunderson said he received a pre-election letter from city of Modesto Attorney Susana Alcala Wood saying there may be a conflict of interest in his dual offices.

"City attorney says may have to go. The concern is conflict of interest. Can't remember deliberating on anything having to do with city and that's likely vice versa … so what's the problem?" he wrote via Facebook.

The problem could be traffic and land-use rulings made by the council. While members can recuse themselves from decisions about a specific property or business, a school board member would need to step away from decisions about whole swaths of land and road building as well as economic development votes that could raise, or lower, enrollment in schools.

The Stanislaus Union district runs north from Highway 99 between the Briggsmore interchange and Vintage Faire Mall, hemmed in mostly between Carver and Dale roads. Above Bangs Avenue, its boundaries jut out and include key growth areas along Kiernan Avenue from Salida almost to McHenry Avenue.