LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors chose on Tuesday to rescind an ordinance passed in March that would have placed an advisory measure before voters asking if the county should join a new state formation movement.
At the behest of Board Chair Anthony Farrington, the board agreed to reconsider its vote to ask residents if the county should adopt a declaration of support for separating from California in order to join the State of Jefferson.
After about an hour's worth of hearing from community members and holding its own discussion, the board voted 5-0 to rescind Resolution No. 2015-22, which would have placed that advisory vote on the November 2016 ballot.
The State of Jefferson proponents propose to break off several Northern California and Southern Oregon counties to form a 51st state.
However, Farrington faulted the movement's financial analysis, explaining that it fails to take into account the many sources of funding for the county that come from the state, and that it also discounts the support the county has received, especially during the recent wildland fires.
During the meeting he would also point to the strength of California's branding for agricultural products and its educational system as additional pluses for Lake County residents.
He said State of Jefferson proponents can still pursue their plan by circulating petitions and gathering signatures.
Lake County Jefferson Declaration Committee member Randy Sutton of Upper Lake said they are OK with the board not moving forward with the advisory measure.
“This will proceed, with or without county government,” he said, noting signature gathering has taken place in several other counties in the State of Jefferson area.
He said they approached the county government because they felt the local government might want to have a place at the table as the effort proceeds.
Lower Lake resident Victoria Brandon, who has been a vocal opponent of the Jefferson plan, urged the board to rescind the resolution.
“What seems to me the center here is that we have been told over and over again that the issue is lack of representation. I think we have seen in time, and especially during the events of this past summer, that lack of representation in Lake County is not a problem,” she said.
She added that Assemblyman Bill Dodd and state Sen. Mike McGuire “have stepped forward dramatically in our time of need” and made sure state agencies responded to help the county during the fires, and that county residents need to concentrate on recovery rather than fighting about a political notion that isn't going to happen anyway.
Supervisor Rob Brown said those who brought forward the State of Jefferson proposal are good people with good intentions, and their criticisms of the state as a whole aren't any different than those that board members have had.
He said if the state had 39 other senators like McGuire, they wouldn't be having the discussion.
Brown said he's setting aside his own personal interests and feelings about Jefferson, as he's now in the position of getting millions of dollars from the state to help local citizens, and as such he planned to be respectful to the state and its leaders.
Farrington passed the gavel to Brown so he could make the motion to rescind the ordinance, which the board voted 5-0 to approve.
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Supervisors rescind resolution supporting State of Jefferson advisory vote
- Elizabeth Larson
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