City Councilors Want to Remove Teeth of Ethics Code

Three inquiries into the conduct of Watsonville city councilors were tabled Tuesday when the council decided to pursue abolishing the punishment element of its code of ethics.

City Councilman Emilio Martinez, who was , filed three ethics complaints against Mayor Daniel Dodge, Councilman Manuel Bersamin and former Councilman Antonio Rivas, now a member of the city's library board.

Martinez alleged the there men made inappropriate comments to residents during public meetings. An ad-hoc subcommittee investigated the claims and recommended that the entire council be adomished—essentially, instructed to behave better—rather than impose punishment against any one person.

"I did nothing wrong," Dodge said during the . "… You can’t govern public behavior.”

Dodge and others pointed out that members of the public also made comments that could be considered inflammatory and that city councilors shouldn't live in fear that responding to criticism could lead to ethics sanctions. 

"We have to respect people’s opinions," Councilman Oscar Rios said. "I think the question here is: How do we respond to the public?”

But the issue became moot when Dodge and Martinez—in a rare moment—agreed. The two leaders, normally adversaries, both said they thought the ethics probe process has been abused.

They suggested postponing action on the latest inquiry while city staff to come back with an appropriate resolution to abolish the penalty provision of the ethics code.

The motion was approved 4-1.

Councilman Lowell Hurst pointed out that if you’re going to have ethics in place you need a mechanism to enforce it, otherwise it’s meaningless.

Hurst had another suggestion. 

“I think we’re wasting a lot of time," he said. "… My recommendation is everybody shake hands and say 'I’m sorry,' kiss and make up, and move forward.”