Politics & Government

Divisive City Council Campaign Hits City Council Meeting

It was possibly the first time that a City Council meeting was turned into a campaign rally as two sparring camps in the upcoming election tried to make points for their candidates and positions.

Anger, fear, frustration, dismay.

Accusations of Walnut Creek police officers bullying citizens and business owners.

But also, a desire for reconciliation, collaboration.

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These feelings, opinions and aspirations were all on display at Walnut Creek's packed City Council meeting Tuesday.

Supporters of two sparring camps in the race tried to score rhetorical points during the public comment portion of the regular meeting -- two weeks before voters decide which of three candidates will win two open seats on the council.

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It was probably the first time that "campaigning" has taken place at a City Council meeting, Mayor Sue Rainey said with dismay. Council meetings are designed to take care of city business. 

In one camp were supporters of Cindy Silva, the mayor pro tem and incumbent who is running for re-election. In the other camp were members of the Police Department and candidate Justin Wedel, who has allied himself with police over their concerns about spending on public safety.  

Silva's supporters began their speeches by thanking council members, including Silva, for their leadership during difficult economic times and for their support of arts, recreation, open space and the new library -- all programs that make Walnut Creek a desirable place to live, they said.

But some Silva supporters also had harsh words for her opponents, notably the police. In this election, they have taken an active, united role in city politics for the first time. 

"I'd like to say shame on you," Karen Cassano said to the officers in the audience. 

Cassano, a longtime resident and wife of City Treasurer Ron Cassano, complained about the way police have conducted themselves during the campaign, intimidating "a number of friends" whom, she said, don't agree with their position.

Kevin Wilk, a member of the city's Transportation Commission, said he, too, was uncomfortable with the police injecting themselves into the race out of a desire to "fund their retirement pensions." He mentioned store owners who were afraid to post pro-Silva signs in their windows or regular citizens afraid to carry pro-Silva literature around in public. He suggested the officers' paramilitary presence creates a sense of "authoritarian intimidation." 

Officers who attended the meeting denied resorting to bullying tactics.

"The police association members sitting here this evening are your neighbors, fellow parents, youth coaches, local patrons and friends," said Randy Dickey, a spokesman for the Walnut Creek Police Association, which represents police officers and rank-and-file officers. "And, all of us share in a common goal: to focus on what's in the best interest of the citizens of Walnut Creek," 

Dickey spoke of the "campaign propoganda" from the Silva camp that calls their association a "union," a word that carries negative stereotypes.

"In fact, our association is just that--an association. And at the core of our existence is a shared goal based on what's in the best interest of the residents of Walnut Creek," he said.

And, no, Dickey said, Walnut Creek police officers are not anti-library, anti-swimming pools and anti-business. "We highly value WC's library, swimming pools, and bustling downtown community," he said. 

Police officers care about fostering a healthy economy and long-term growth, while "also ensuring the safety to the residents who reside outside of the lively downtown area."  He also noted there were some council members who "did not look favorably" on officers being present at the last council meeting. 

"Please welcome our participation in these discussions. And please see our presence here as a reflection of our support of an ongoing dialogue and an indication of how highly we value what's in the best interest of the residents of Walnut Creek," Dickey said.

About a dozen people spoke, pro-Silva or pro-police.  No one made statements for or against any one candidate.  Wedel did not use his three minutes of allotted speaking time to ask for votes but to voice concern about keeping Walnut Creek a safe community by adequately funding the Police Department.

He disputed the idea put forth by a previous speaker, former Mayor Charlie Abrams, who said the election had been hijacked by "a special interest" that did not like the result of recent contract negotiations for police managers.

Wedel called it "propaganda" to cast the police position as centered around pay and pension.

In fact, he said, the central issue for police is whether their department is adequately funded, especially in light of a series of bar fights nearly three weekends ago that involved more than 50 combatants and led to several arrests and multiple injuries. All on-duty police officers had to respond to a fight at one of the bars.

Wedel called on the city to form a public safety task force that would include residents  to study whether Walnut Creek's level of public safety is adequate.

"If, as you contend, the Police Department is adequately funded, this new task force will tell you so," Wedel said. 

The third candidate for the upcoming race was not at the meeting Tuesday night. Kristina Lawson said she would stay away because she does not think the City Council meeting is an appropriate place for a campaign rally or forum.

 


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