CV Public Cemetery votes to get rid of COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, one month after its approval

The Coachella Valley Public Cemetery District board voted 3-2 Tuesday to get rid of a fund that they established last month to help families struggling with the financial burden of burying a loved one during the pandemic. 

News Channel 3’s Madison Weil first brought you this story last month when the cemetery’s district board initially voted on its approval. 

At that meeting in May, when press and other members of the public were listening in, the cemetery district voted “yes” on this fund that would cover $1,550 dollars in fees per family. However, at this week’s board meeting, with press and the public not in attendance, the board voted 3-2 to get rid of the fund altogether, citing legal restrictions as the problem.

Marcos Coronel, one of the two board members who voted in favor of the fund, expressed his opinion after the decision came down: “You guys decided to kill the program and I think that’s deplorable. I think it’s absolutely disgusting what you guys just did,” he said in Tuesday’s board meeting. 

Bruce Underwood, the other board member in favor of the fund also spoke up in Tuesday’s meeting repeatedly: “To me, it’s disingenuous that now, because there’s no public involved [...] now we’re going to all of a sudden act out and say 'we have no duty to you anymore.' I think it’s a mistake,” he said.

Coronel and Underwood asked if the other three board members who voted against the fund were going to tell the public about the decision to eliminate it. Ernesto Rosales, the board’s Chairman said in the meeting they had “no obligation to do so” and that “if anybody wants to ask for an interview, we’ll take them on as they request it.” 

“We’re not gonna do anything,” said board member Judy Vossler.

Vossler was seen laughing in Tuesday’s discussion on the fund as she said, "My motion is to stop any forward progress on the CERF (COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund) program."

Chairman Rosales and board members Vossler and John Rios voted to eliminate the CERF (COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund) program altogether. 

Coronel continually pushed the board to find a way to compromise in that meeting. He made three motions, including one asking the board for permission to go fundraise on his own. All three motions were voted down. 

“A hundred years from now when generations from now read about COVID-19, our cemetery district is going to be remembered for what we did or did not do. And you guys are diverting back something that we agreed on,” said Coronel. 

Rosales, the Chairman says there are new “legal objections” with the fund preventing them from moving forward. 

“We moved forward in that direction a month ago...but unfortunately our hands are tied,” said Rosales. 

We obtained a copy of those legal objections, which state that certain fees may not be waived and that the cemetery cannot “gift public funds.”

However, we showed that legal memo (attached below) to Steven Quintanilla, general counsel for other local public cemetery districts to hear his opinion. 

He says while some parts are grounded in the law, the board could have found other legal ways to gift funds to those in need. 

“The board of directors and board of trustees in these special districts...have the authority to do something like this. And determine what constitutes a legitimate public purpose for their agency,” said Quintanilla. 

“So if the board had been determined to find a way to legally create this fund...do you think there would have been a viable way?” asked News Channel 3’s Madison Weil.

“Oh yes, definitely [...] I would have no problem defending a case like this,” said Quintanilla.

Madison Weil followed up with cemetery Chairman Rosales in a phone call. He says hopefully moving forward, a new solution can be found.

“Hopefully you can keep it positive...we’re not quitting. We just need to do it right and find a way to do it even if it’s outside of what we attempted here first of all,” said Rosales. 

LEGAL MEMO ATTACHED: