Here is a follow up to what has been transpiring in the City of Vacaville as the Council agreed last night to move forward with a 1-year term for its vice mayor position. While Councilman Curtis Hunt tried to restore the two-year traditional term of office, that vote failed 2-3. After an hour or so debate, the council decided to cut the term of office to one year.
Mayor Hardy tried to push this forward at the last meeting, but there was accusations of a Brown Act Violation for reduced term limit not being properly itemized on the agenda. The end result in this fiasco is that Dilenna Harris’ term of office as vice mayor is still only one year long.
According to the Daily Republic:
The mayor admitted if he had to do this all over again, he said the issue of the vice mayor’s term of office would have been talked about more after the election. He stood by his reasoning that the shorter term of office for vice mayor would give more councilmembers experience in the role. Hunt and Rowlett had previously served two-year vice mayor terms. Mashburn is now the only member who has not been vice mayor.
Harris said her concern about Hardy’s change in the term of office was not about her and she had no ill will against Hardy, but she said there is not a set policy for the vice mayor’s term of office and it “should not have been done on the fly as this was done.”
Several residents said they felt the lack of public council discussion before changing the term of office was inadequate and the move flew in the face of the council’s previous record of being open and honest. More than one speaker suggested that if there was to be a change in the term of office, it should be done only after Harris serves a two-year term.
