Fort Bragg Council picks Jason Godeke as new mayor

FORT BRAGG, CA., 12/14/24 — On Dec. 9, a divided Fort Bragg City Council picked two already serving councilmembers for city leadership positions: Jason Godeke as mayor and Marcia Rafanan as vice mayor. A Pomo, Rafanan becomes the first self-identified Indigenous person to serve as a leader of the council.

But controversy flared Monday night at Fort Bragg’s Town Hall during the voting. In the Nov. 5 election, longtime councilmember Lindy Peters and newcomer Scott Hockett won seats in a four-person race to join the three sitting councilmembers: Godeke, Rafanan, and Tess Albin-Smith. By tradition, Fort Bragg picks its new mayor and vice mayor at the first meeting in December, then takes the end of the year off for a holiday break. The vice mayor serves as mayor in the mayor’s absence, such as when the mayor must recuse her- or himself because of a conflict.

Hockett had no time to just sit back and see how it all works. Thirty minutes after being sworn in, he became the decisive vote over how Fort Bragg would choose its mayors going forward. Albin-Smith and Peters wanted the job to rotate every year or two so both voters and the city would benefit from diverse voices and leadership ideas. And although there have been numerous women on the council, none has been picked for mayor in this century. On the wall above the council at Town Hall are the official portraits of mayors, with only two women among them: Michelle White and Patti Campbell served as mayors in the 1990s.

“I think that this question does bring up important points about equity, especially, and I do think that’s something that we need to be vigilant about when we start looking at the wall of photographs,” Godeke said, explaining why he would vote against rotating the mayor role. 

“I think that is something we need to keep track of. But I do also feel that being nimble and being able to assess the circumstances is important, of the community, of the relationship with staff…” Godeke felt that being able to maintain consistency with the public and with city staff would be challenging with different mayors.

Albin-Smith argued that changing mayors would encourage more diversity in ideas and more representation for voters who had chosen candidates who were not in those positions. “My objection is that when there’s one mayor, over and over and over again, no one else’s vision is brought forth. As a mayor you have more opportunities to bring those visions forward than you do as a councilmember,” she said.

Realtor Paul Clark, who has been commenting on city politics longer than anyone at the meeting besides Peters, weighed in on the rotation versus vote debate.

“I have complete confidence in the people that are elected to work among themselves as who’s going to be the mayor and the vice mayor. So at this moment, I’d say stick with the policy that you’ve had for a long time,” said Clark.

By tradition in Fort Bragg, the mayor votes last, so he or she breaks ties. But until this one issue was settled, at the moment there was no mayor. The vote came to Hockett tied 2-2. Hockett voted with Rafanan and Godeke to deny the forced rotation system that Peters and Albin-Smith wanted.

Then came 30 minutes that were unusually tense by Fort Bragg council standards. Rafanan nominated Godeke for mayor. Peters nominated Albin-Smith. Albin-Smith nominated Peters for mayor. Then newcomer Hockett said he also wanted to nominate Godeke. A vote on that nomination made Godeke mayor. When it was clear that Godeke would win, the vote became 5-0. Voting unanimously after disagreements is a local tradition.

Rafanan as vice mayor

Next was picking a vice mayor. Godeke nominated Rafanan. And Albin-Smith nominated Peters.

Peters took the mike to push hard for his own nomination. He pointed out he was on a first-name basis with congressional and other elected representatives. He said if the community was voting, it would likely pick him.

“In 2014 I received the most votes in the election,” he said. “In 2018 I received the most votes. In 2022 I received the most votes, and in 2024 I received the most votes… I have, I think, more institutional knowledge than any of the other councilmembers, which I think is important. And I also think it’s very important that if something happens to our new mayor, that we have someone who can run the meeting right off the bat.”

Peters said he is semi-retired and has plenty of time for the position while Rafanan has a busy family and work life as a caregiver.

Albin-Smith then leveled strong criticism at Rafanan. “Mayors and vice mayors should be able to read, understand and write decisions unassisted,” Albin-Smith said, adding that the person also needs to deal with complex city issues and give direction to city staffers. “They need to know what to do when hell breaks loose. I don’t think Marcia has these qualities. I think it would be great to have a mayor who represents people of color if that mayor had such leadership skills and experience. It would be even more amazing if Marcia was actually a spokesperson for the tribal community, but she doesn’t speak… She’s a very nice person and she’s very friendly but she’s definitely not a leader, not comfortable with public speaking, and sadly we know that she is swayed by certain people who tell her what to say so she doesn’t have original comments. The job of mayor and vice mayor is too important to give to a person who has no leadership skills… I don’t think Marcia is qualified.”

Godeke countered that Rafanan’s ability to work long hours and juggle family, work commitments and community involvement makes her ideal for the job.

Rafanan then argued her own case: “I’m here representing the working class. I work two jobs, I have kids… I know the struggle of how it is to live and work here in Fort Bragg. I’m not retired, I’m not made of money, I know what it takes to live here. We need more jobs, not more walking trails.” She then noted that Albin-Smith earlier, while arguing for a rotating mayor, was touting increased diversity and representation. “I am part of that working class that’s the majority of Fort Bragg,” Rafanan said. “I bet anyone [age] 40 here, 50 here, they’ve got one or two jobs. That’s who I represent…  I’m not a polished politician. I’m not a public speaker. I think I am doing a good job to represent the working class people… Anybody that knows me knows that I cannot be swayed… We don’t need another polished politician. We need somebody that’s real, that knows the struggle to live and work here.”

Albin-Smith’s comments drew strong criticism from several audience members and support from one.

Said Judy Martin, the head of the Mendocino Coast Humane Society, to Albin-Smith: “I’m actually blown away at the comment that you made about Marcia’s… inability to be vice mayor. I have known Marcia since I was 10 years old, and she is caring. She is strong, and the only way that somebody is going to be a leader is to get the chance and to not be belittled in front of the public…”

Jenny Shattuck said that people watching online had been texting her about how rude Albin-Smith was. “There’s a reason that people in this audience and online were totally amazed at how rude you were and that’s why you’re not supported as mayor or vice mayor.”

And longtime resident Judy Valadao said she’d never heard anyone talk about another councilmember in that fashion. “Tess, You should literally be ashamed of yourself.”

But Andrew Jordan, speaking online, praised Albin-Smith for speaking what she really thinks rather than the obfuscation that politicians are often accused of. “I’m a very, very strong advocate of free speech. The cure for speech, whether approved or disapproved, is not less speech, it is more speech. I think that our city is better served by honest comments that are not ad hominem attacks…”

The council ended up voting 4-1 on the Rafanan nomination, with Albin-Smith voting no. 

New planning commissioner

Next, Hockett nominated Ryan Bushnell to serve on the Fort Bragg Planning Commission. The planning commission, which includes private citizens, is a separate legal body from the city council. It reviews applications and advises the council on the updates of zoning ordinances, general plans and such.

Bushnell finished third in the election behind Peters, who finished first, and Hockett, who came in second. Bushnell, a local heavy equipment operator, has been involved with the council since he joined the city’s official study of whether Fort Bragg should change its name, an idea the council eventually nixed.

Peters opposed replacing Planning Commission Chair Scott Dietz with Bushnell so that vote ended up 3-2 with Albin-Smith also voting no. Peters said he was not voting no because of any issues with Bushnell, but because Dietz was the most experienced member of the planning commission.

Before the meeting was a gala send-off for longtime mayor Bernie Norvell, who left the council to serve as the 4th District Mendocino County Supervisor. There were songs, non-alcoholic champagne, and dignitaries including Mendocino County District Attorney C. David Eyster, former mayor Doug Hammerstrom, former supervisor Kendall Smith and other community leaders.