By Investigative Reporter, Linda Sutter – April 23, 2025

Out of closed session this week, approving q $20,000 salary increase for interim Harbormaster Mike Rademaker. But was this decision based on merit- or was it yet another lapse in oversight?

A closer look at Rademaker’s recent history reveals a pattern of questionable conduct, misleading statements, and potential misuse of public resources. From 2016 through March 2025, Rademaker reportedly worked remotely for the U.S. Department of the Interior out of Orick, collecting a federal salary of $92,827. At the same time, he was pulling in an additional $94,000 from the Crescent City Harbor District. That’s a combined taxpayer-funded income of over $186,000 annually-all while he resided for free in the harbor-owned housing, paid for by taxpayers, despite the property being red-tagged by the County and deemed uninhabitable.

The commissioner’s decision becomes even more troubling considering Rademaker’s consistently poor performance. Time and again, he failed to post public meetings within the 72 hour notice required by California’s Brown Act-yet claimed in public forums that he had. These repeated failures have undermined public transparency and contributed to a growing sense of distrust among community members.

During the most recent harbor board meeting, Commissioner Annie Nehmer bravely raised a serious concern : a reported $100,000 shortfall in Harbor funds. Her remarks were met with silence from her fellow board members. Is She the only commissioner willing to speak the truth?

The public deserves answers. Among the many concerns raised is Rademaker’s claim that he is a “professor” at the local community college. Yet he holds no doctoral degree, and this self-appointed title raises questions about the accuracy of his resume and the honesty of his public representations.

Even more misleading were statements Rademaker made during the recent Del Norte Economic Summit, where he told attendees, “the harbor is not broke,” and, there will be a fulltime sheriff’s deputy patrolling the Harbor.” Neither of these claims are supported by budgetary facts or law enforcement contracts.

All signs point to a need for a formal investigation-not only into Rademaker’s job performance and public statements, but also into his educational and financial background. The taxpayers deserve better than a harbor run on misinformation, cronyism, and fiscal negligence. Keep in mind the former Financial Director up and left, what was the reason? He knew something none of us will ever know.

And for those following this saga, stay tuned- sources say even more troubling revelations are on the horizon. Does it have something to do with sex offenders staying at the harbor?