Recently re-installed Hermosa Beach mayor Patrick "Kit" Bobko faces censure from the majority of his city council peers following his decision to inform Hermosa Beach residents about the suitability of one candidate for Chief of Police versus the one selected.
Previous Councilmember George Schmeltzer voiced his displeasure regarding Bobko's press release and submitted it for the public record. How does his letter of dissent differ from Bobko's own letter? Councilmember Jeffery Dulcos claimed that Bobko's independent press release was an " affront on the authority and process" of the city's selection process. Duclos' allegations are an affront to the authority and process due to city voters.
Former Hermosa Beach Treasurer David Cohn was treated with more respect following his more egregious allegations of misconduct, yet Bobko receives no such treatment in turn. Despite allegations of misconduct and unethical behavior toward their mayor, those members seeking censure should themselves be held accountable for rebuking a city official's decision to make public the appointment of a public official.
Transparency in government should be the goal of every civic leader. More than the current mayor, the First Amendment protecting speech and the press is being lynched when city council leaders spend more time scolding their member representatives rather than maintaining an open forum in their chambers. Instead of reprimanding, the Hermosa Beach City Council should demand necessary pension reforms and mandate more efficiency in local government by disbursing time and funds towards public safety.
In short: serve the public interest, not their own.
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