Around Town … with Robert Airoldi: County looking for residents to claim nearly $500M in unclaimed funds

Monies have been on deposit with the county’s General Collections Trust Funds for a period of greater than three years.

 

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By Robert Airoldi

Do you think the county owes you money? The County of Santa Clara Department of Tax and Collections published a list of 676 individuals and businesses who are potential owners of $490,476 in unclaimed general collections monies. Potential owners who qualify for these monies must file claims by March 14. The list includes monies that have been on deposit with the county’s General Collections Trust Funds for a period of greater than three years.

The unclaimed monies come from over-payments, duplicate payments, adjustment of charges, payments to victims who cannot be located, victims who refused the monies, are out of business, and a variety of other reasons.

“We make every effort to refund the rightful owners of the unclaimed money,” said Margarita Rodriguez, acting director of the county’s Department of Tax and Collections. “We encourage individuals and businesses to file a claim if they believe that they may be due the funds based on their published names.”

The online search on the department’s website is ongoing at www.sccdtac.org/unclaimedmonies.

The Gilroy Arts Alliance is featuring the black and white art of artists Marilyn Host and Scott Downs this month. A closing reception will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Jan. 30.

Host is an artist who works both in 2-D and 3-D mixed media. She graduated with a BFA from Ohio State University with an emphasis in the ceramic arts, and for many years produced ceramic sculpture and functional pottery.

Much of her work is celebratory . . . taking familiar objects or discarded objects and lifting them to a position of honor. She loves metallic materials and celebrates the organic themes of nature. Reassembling memories of the past from the items at hand brings her joy.

Downs resides in Gilroy after living in Los Gatos for more than 50 years. He graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in fine arts having chosen an emphasis in painting and printmaking.

Most of his career was spent as a high school art teacher in San Diego; Saratoga High School and included 23 years as the art department chair at Los Gatos High School. During that time and continuing to the present, he has judged numerous art shows and served as a guest instructor at several schools.

Down’s subject matter is primarily landscape, seascape, still life and the human figure.

The Gilroy Arts Alliance is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. They are located at 7341 Monterey St., Gilroy. Details: (408) 842-6999.

Kasey Halcón, a well-established leader in victims’ services and advocacy, will join the county’s highest rank of executives.

Her appointment as deputy county executive began Feb. 7. In this position, she’ll continue her public service career, which has been rooted in services for victims of crimes and the coordination of response and recovery efforts in mass casualty events.

“In many of the recent events that have tested our collective resiliency — including the 2019 tragedy at the Gilroy Garlic Festival and last year’s shooting at the VTA yard — Kasey was the leader behind the countywide efforts to support the victims and our community,” said County Executive Jeffrey V. Smith. “Many of our programs for victims’ services did not exist before she joined the county administration. She knows how to build from the ground up, and as deputy county executive, her out-of-the-box thinking will make even more of a difference for our most underserved communities.”

Currently, Halcón is the director of victim services at the District Attorney’s Office, a program she established, built and grew for the past six years. There, she leads victim services coordination and mass victimization-related programs including the Victim Services Unit, the Children’s Advocacy Center, the Gilroy Strong Resiliency Center, and the VTA Resiliency Center.

She has also worked in victim advocacy in the county for more than 15 years, providing services to victims of crime and their family members.

“I fought for years to give voice to those who don’t easily have one and worked to develop programs designed to improve access to services for our most vulnerable community members,” Halcón said. “These same goals will stay with me as deputy county executive. Every decision I make and every project I champion will be guided by this vision.”

She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Sonoma State University and serves on several local professional boards.

Congrats, Kasey, on your new job!