FORT BRAGG., CA., 9/16/24 — Fort Bragg’s City Council candidates have been invited to participate in a Sept. 19 forum by the League of Women Voters of Mendocino County.
Lindy Peters, a former mayor and the longest-serving councilmember, is the only incumbent in the race among five candidates for two seats to be decided on Nov. 5. Mayor Bernie Norvell will be moving onto the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors after winning that race earlier this year, meaning the town will have a new mayor after the elections. The mayoral choice is normally made right after the elections by the council; councilmembers pick the mayor from among its members. The new councilmembers will be sworn in late December or January.
The candidates (ages provided at time of August filing):
- Lindy Peters, 71, incumbent, and former mayor, has served on the council more than once, starting in the 1990s, then returning more than a decade ago.
- Melissa “Mel” Salazar, 32, is a diversity program manager.
- Bethany Brewer, 44, has had a variety of roles in the community as a volunteer. She has worked as a Success Coach in a grant program in local schools funded through the Fort Bragg Police Department.
- Ryan Bushnell, 38, is a local equipment operator and former volunteer firefighter. He got involved in local politics when the idea of changing Fort Bragg’s name was suggested in 2020, joining a commission to discuss the issue. He opposes changing the name of the town.
- Scott Hockett, 43, has been a leader in Noyo Harbor business and commercial fishing organizations.
Bushnell and Hockett signs appeared together in the Paul Bunyan Parade including on the Fort Bragg Forever float, which was made up of residents who oppose changing the name of the town. The race will be won by the top two vote-getters regardless of the percentage of the vote they get, said Fort Bragg City Manager Isaac Whippy.
The candidate forum will be held September 19, from 6-7:30 p.m at Fort Bragg Town Hall. A League of Women Voters member will moderate the forum. Candidates will give opening statements. Written questions will be taken from the audience, as many as time allows. The forum will conclude with closing statements from each candidate, according to the League.
Two tax measures also on ballot
Fort Bragg city voters will also be asked to decide Measure T, a proposed increase to the city’s sales tax, and Measure U, which would increase the transient occupancy tax. The plan to raise the two taxes followed a mid-year budget workshop in March 2024 when city staff presented a budget picture for the next five years that involved cuts if tax increases were not made.
Fort Bragg’s council rejected a similar sales tax in 2022, when three other sales tax measures were on the ballot. Measure T would raise sales taxes in the city by 0.375 cents. The city of Fort Bragg rate already has a local special sales tax of 1 percent and Mendocino County has a local tax of 0.625. Per state law, the combined rate of all local sales taxes generally cannot exceed two percent. The state has a 7.25 sales tax rate. So if this new sales tax passes, people buying something at a retail store in Fort Bragg would pay an estimated 9.25 cents on every dollar spent.
Measure U would impose a two percent increase in the rate of Fort Bragg’s transient occupancy tax. The transient occupancy tax (TOT) is collected by operators of motels and hotels from guests who stay at a hotel for thirty consecutive days or less. The current rate of the tax is 12 percent of the room rent charged by the hotel operator. Measure U would add two percent to the TOT rate, resulting in a 14 percent tax on visitors spending the night. The language of the ordinance uses the word “hotel” only, but city codes show the new tax would apply to any rental lasting less than 30 days. Vacation rentals are strictly regulated in Fort Bragg, allowed only in the central business district, on the second or third floor above commercial-use buildings. Both taxes require a simple major to pass, confirmed City Manager Whippy.
No to four more years of Lindy and no to additional sales tax.
Lindy has been very effective in Fort Bragg Government. He is the only current candidate willing to stand up to both you and Mendocino Railway/Hart Family; thereby earning my vote.
Ask the candidates who won the 2020 election?
I would like to know how each candidate stands on the proposed development of the Noyo Headlands by Mendocino Railway.
will do, thanks
The candidates position on development of the former mill site by Mendocino Railway is an important issue.
In my opinion, the benefits to the community would be considerable and should be embraced by our future political leaders.
Adding more red tape, regulation, and more costly litigation at the taxpayers expense will only generate further stagnation and is not a good strategy for the community going forward.
Ask each of the candidates directly if they support or oppose that development.
The follow up should be why or why not?
Exactly
I think people who don’t live in Fort Bragg and won’t have to deal with whatever gross development might happen should let the people of Fort Bragg decide.
Ask the candidates if the lockdown during covid saved lives?
Will be sure to ask if I get the chance.
What do you see as some of the most important effects of climate change on Fort Bragg?
What plans for minimizing the damage would you support?
What is your plan for keeping the peace here, if we end up being one of the few places left that is not too hot and dry to live in?
We could start to use the Pacific Ocean as a dump again to plug all harbors with trash and then build a wall around 1 oh one down 20 and Branscom Road to isolate our communities
Will any candidates stop the Skunk Train from spraying Round-Up for 3 miles in and along Pudding Creek’s flood zone and estuary?
If you want to send this question with your name to my regular email which is my name and gmail.com I will ask and wont reveal to anyone else who you are
The ROW is sprayed using a licensed contractor with all necessary permits and training, applying herbicide that is approved for use in the state of CA. None of the herbicides used are Roundup.
Will this be televised on Ch3?
I am concerned- the days of Railroad Land Barons and wannabee tycoons were over a century ago. This is about more than the local Skunk Train— My feeling and that of many folks is to keep outside investors out- We do not need Big Money corporate and silent investors taking over this town. One did get their foot in here — the Koch Brothers subsidiary of Georgia Pacific and look what happened! They closed shop– the Mill and left. And years later a backroom deal over the land happened that did not benefit the city. Fort Bragg needs smart growth– we have a limited water source. Has everyone forgotten that?
What backroom deal, Mary? In 2019, we purchased 77 acres. In January 2021 we purchased 14 acres. Then, the former City Manager said it was fine for us to try to buy the remaining 210 acres. We struck a deal with the GP on Feb 12, 2021 and shared the deal details with the City. The City then used those details to try to take the deal for themselves on May 4, 2021. On Oct 5, 2021 GP called us say the City was unable to make any commitment and asked if we could renew the Feb 12 deal. We agreed. That is it. The deal was then reviewed by 2 judges in November 2021 before it was concluded. The City had the deal points for 9 months before the deal was concluded.
And if you like backroom deals scuttlebutt, how about you look into the City’s backroom deal with GP that makes them feel entitled to continuously pollute the millsite with unchecked stormwater.
Ask the candidates what plans do they have for the population expansion of the city? What are they going to do to relieve the housing crisis, specifically. Will they be in favor of deregulation and rezoning of private properties? Will they limit and regulate vacation rentals and derelict properties? What will be enforceable? How will they personally provide help and care to the homeless population?
Robin, will you be at the meeting? Id like to get this question out and its a very good pile of questions. Id also like to get your comments after the meeting, send to my name, all lower case and Gmail. Chris and Mary, also happy to hear from you.
The City spent YEARS getting public comment on how to zone the mill site property prior to the Harts purchasing it in 2021 because GP wanted to avoid the environmental clean up. The Harts “Stormwater issue” is simply a red herring. The toxins were there from the Mill Site days.
Laura, that is a real jumble of zoning and remediation topics. Can you explain how you relate them?
Yes, we bought some property in 2021. We also bought property in 2019. Throughout we have said we would do the remediation.
The issues is that while we are taking on a task, that doesn’t mean that it is okay for the City now dump toxins onto the millsite. And the situation is made worse because for 2 years they would not even agree to meet to explain themselves.
Out with the old, in with the new! Lindy has got to go. He has lied publicly and lost his privilege to govern the City of Fort Bragg anymore. This city council has gone stale and “no-growth.” Bushnell and Hockett will lead the way into some new positive changes in the City of Fort Bragg.
Scott, are you going? Please send your thoughts after the meeting to my regular email…Any Q’s you want to get asked for sure?