08 Aug City of Vallejo City Council Current Climate with Transparency and Ethics Challenges
Currently the climate in the current make up of our City Council is a bitterly divided Mayor and Council based on a variety of recent votes, and a lack of an ethical moral compass based on the fact that the Council majority has not directed the City Manager to hold meetings in August, and a meeting every week based on the size of agendas and the amount of paperwork that the Mayor and Council must review to make an informed voting decision on agenda items is reflected in a recent City paid poll showing the vast majority of those polls mistrust the City of Vallejo.
If one is to believe what Mayor McConnell recently wrote concerning his power over meetings and the agenda, and the absolute shame in the City Manager not having a meeting a every week to reduce the size of the agenda, length of Council meetings, and giving the Mayor and the Council adequate time to review agenda items, it is clear that we need to demand Council candidates weigh in on reforming this poor practice. Having the Mayor and Council Person Arriola apparently alone in demanding ethics reform and accountability casts a shadow over City Hall.
It has been implied that Former Mayor Sampayan, abdicated his authority and power to the City Manager, although no evidence of a Council vote on policy has ever taken place has been presented. I would welcome information as to how our former Mayor and Council abdicated their power and fiduciary responsibility to manage this City based on the voters putting them in office, to a non elected City Manager. You can email me ([email protected]) with evidence as to how this disgraceful abdication of power became the norm at City Hall.
Now enough criticism and let’s look at solutions:
- Have Executive staff and Division Managers fill out and post their form 700 statement of economic interests. When our Council voted to essentially give land away to a developer on North Mare Island, it would have been essential to know if those on staff that recommended the sale had economic interests in the company they gave the land away to.
- Melissa Nold made a brilliant suggestion about Police reform and a reform Commission be formed with an Inspector General. My suggestion would be to have an Ethics Commission with an Inspector General as the leader and Chair. An Ethics Commission could deal with issues not only on our Police Department, but over the entire City Operations. We have expressed concern over how we award permits, how we give out public documents, why our public works are underfunded despite promises in past tax measures. It could also deal with how it is that our Mayor and Council get $50,000 from the City Manager during budget proposals, yet they vote on the City Managers employment Contract.
- Have the Mayor and Council vote to direct the City Manager to abdicate the power given to him, and give it back to our elected officials so we can make informed decisions and hold them accountable when the time comes to vote.
707resident
Has anything changed since this post even with new Council members ? I haven’t been involved in City politics for awhile. After taking a much needed break I decided to watch Tuesday nights meeting and found it to be the same ole’ same ole’ just with 3 new Council members. What happens to the promises and statements made during the election campaigns ?? Are the candidates being persuaded before or after they are elected ? Will this ever change ?
Joseph Estrada
Sorry for the very late response I read this back in April which was too soon to make an informed opinion on Mr. Matulac, Mr. Bregenzer, and Mr. Palmares. As of December Mr. Brezenger, and Mr. matulac have voted for someone very controversial items concerning special interests with no accountability. factors. Both of them voted to sell a golf course for $400,000 that was once valued at millions, and used as collateral to an old bankruptcy loan. Those two joined by Mr. Palmares voted to approve the lates Police Union Contract with hefty raises with no court ordered accountability measures. Usually when one negotiates a contract with raises and perks, one usually asks for something in return, this could have been mandatory drug testing, the use of footage from shoulder and car cams to ensure our Police officers are behaving in a civil and appropriate manor. All we can do now is remember these names when they run for office again, as they now have track records to suggest they are more likely to serve special interests than they are to serve the community.