Did Roseville use public resources to counter a candidate? DA asked to investigate

Roseville City Council 2nd District candidate David Nelson is asking the Placer County District Attorney’s Office to investigate whether the city improperly used public employees and resources to prepare a report countering his criticism of infrastructure spending in older neighborhoods.

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Nelson’s attorneys submitted a letter requesting an investigation into whether the city’s actions violated California law prohibiting the use of public resources for campaign activity.

The complaint centers on a report detailing $180.4 million in projects and improvements in the 2nd District over the past decade. The district includes downtown Roseville, the Main Street commercial corridor and some of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, including Hillcrest, Sierra Gardens, Cresthaven and Roseville Heights. City officials compiled the information after Nelson raised concerns that older neighborhoods had been neglected in favor of newer parts of Roseville.

Nelson argued that city emails show officials directed employees to prepare the report specifically to counter his campaign statements. He said he wants an independent review to determine who requested the work, how much staff time it required and whether the effort gave an unfair advantage to his opponent, Anne Carpenter.

“I am not here to declare that a crime has been committed,” Nelson said during a news conference Wednesday. “That determination belongs to the proper authorities.”

City officials defended the report as a routine effort to inform council members about infrastructure investments.

“We have not seen any formal documentation on this matter, but the city strongly denies any wrongdoing in relation to the upcoming election,” Erin Dunlay, a city of Roseville spokesperson, said.

Dunlay said the city prepared the report to provide the City Council with factual information about investments in the 2nd District over a 10-year period. She cited the city charter, which outlines the city manager’s responsibility to keep the council informed about the city’s condition and needs.

Emails at the center of the complaint

According to the letter submitted by Nelson’s attorneys, City Manager Dominick Casey emailed city department directors Sept. 17, beginning his message with, “I just love election season.”

Casey wrote that the city did not typically track infrastructure investments by council district but asked staff to help counter what he described as a “ridiculous narrative” that the 2nd District had been left behind while the city invested in newer growth areas.

Casey also cited more than $100 million in improvements along Vernon Street over the past decade.

Later that day, Public Works Director Jason Shykowski emailed employees, directing them to compile a list of projects completed in the 2nd District over the previous 10 years, along with approximate costs. He also asked staff to include projects that were underway.

“Here’s a political falsehood we need to assist Dom with showing it’s not true,” Shykowski wrote, according to the complaint.

Employees from Public Works, Parks and Environmental Utilities departments worked to gather project information and costs over several days, the letter said.

Noah Siviglia, an engineer coordinating the work, asked employees to help identify project costs and completion dates, noting that the information did not need to be overly precise because of the tight deadline.

The resulting report, titled “Public Works Major Expenditures in District 2 Over Past 10 Years,” was later reformatted and shared on social media by Councilmember Karen Alvord.

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Alvord, who represents the 5th District covering west Roseville, has publicly endorsed Carpenter in the 2nd District race. Alvord and Carpenter’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

Carpenter and Nelson are competing for the seat held by Council Member Pauline Roccucci, who is not seeking reelection in November. Carpenter has received endorsements from four of the five current Roseville City Council members, including Alvord. Nelson has been endorsed by Roseville Firefighters Local 1592, among others.

In a text message to Nelson, Casey confirmed that several council members had requested the report in response to Nelson’s comments.

“I was specifically requested by a few of the council members to assemble a list based on your comments that district 2 was left behind,” Casey wrote.

Casey also said the city did not have comparable reports for the other four districts because it had not previously tracked investments by district.

Nelson said the report’s creation raised concerns because city employees were asked to compile information that had not previously been assembled in that format, and the results were used to counter his campaign statements.

He also questioned whether the figures were complete and sufficiently verified. In the complaint, his attorneys said further review was needed to determine how many employees worked on the report, how many hours they spent and the cost to taxpayers.

City’s position and next steps

The city’s report listed $180.4 million in 2nd District projects over 10 years, according to the complaint.

Nelson said he does not oppose the city providing information to the public or responding to criticism. His concern, he said, is whether public employees were directed to undertake the work specifically to counter a candidate during an active election.

“When government resources are directed toward countering the political statements of a candidate during an active election season, the public deserves to know where legitimate government business ends and publicly funded campaign activity begins,” Nelson said.

He said he would like the city to produce similar investment reports for every council district so residents can compare spending across the city. The 2nd District report alone does not establish whether infrastructure spending is equitable across Roseville, he said.

The complaint asks the Placer County District Attorney’s Office to review the city’s actions under state Government Code Section 8314, which restricts the use of public resources for political campaigns. Nelson’s attorneys argue that the timing and purpose of the report warrant an investigation into whether city staff time and resources were used improperly.

The Placer County District Attorney’s Office confirmed Thursday it received correspondence from representatives acting on Nelson’s behalf.

“As with any referral or complaint submitted to this office, it will be handled in accordance with established procedures,” a spokesperson for DA Morgan Gire’s office said in a statement.

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They declined to comment on potential next steps.

This story was originally published October 23, 2026 at 9:47 AM.