Write-in Jim Hill wins Arroyo Grande mayor’s seat

November 18, 2014
Jim Hill

Jim Hill

By KAREN VELIE and DANIEL BLACKBURN

Amid allegations of poor leadership and abuse of power, write-in candidate Jim Hill has scored a stunning victory in the Arroyo Grande mayor’s seat, trumping incumbent Tony Ferrara by 95 votes, according to unofficial results released by the San Luis Obispo Clerk Recorder’s Office on Monday. Ferrara is newly elected to the prestigious post of president of the California League of Cities, a long-sought title he now will be forced to abandon.

Following police officer allegations that Ferrara participated in a cover-up of a city sex scandal, a group of concerned citizens asked Hill to run for mayor. Those citizens then ran a four-week campaign that included papering Arroyo Grande with hundreds of neon yellow hand-made signs.

In response to the campaign, without being approached, local business owners donated approximately $6,000 to elect Hill. Many of those donors accused Ferrara of abusing his position as mayor and financially harming their businesses, campaign staff said.

On July 3, a late night rendezvous at Arroyo Grande City Hall involving two city officials ended abruptly when emergency workers, responding to a 911 call about a missing spouse, discovered City Manager Steve Adams and Community Development Director Teresa McClish in the darkened building.

Two months later, the police officers association took a vote of no confidence against Ferrara and Adams. The officers said city official elected to ignore allegations that Adams had lied to officers, was belligerent when discovered, and had engaged in conduct that had cost other employees their jobs.

After much debate, the city council voted to hire the Sintra Group to investigate the July 3 incident and how it was handled by the city.

At a special meeting on Wednesday, the council will discuss the possible dismissal, discipline, or release of Adams. The council will also review the Sintra Groups investigation report.

According to a summary released Monday, even though multiple employees told the investigators that there was more than a working relationship between McClish and Adams, the investigators could not find substantive evidence of a romantic relationship. They did, however, question Adams’ leadership.

“Adams, in his position as city manager, should have been aware of this perception and should not have perpetuated it on July 3,” the report says.

On Dec. 1, Hill is slated to be sworn in as mayor. As a write-in candidate, Hill’s name did not appear on the ballot. Nevertheless, he won with 3,090 votes while Ferrara received 2,995 votes.

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No blue dress, what a bummer.


Sintra Group final report


“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”

–Confucius–


Great slogan for the Jim upHILL-battle gang of misfits!


The gang that could shoot straight!


Damn straight!


And still can’t!


Welcome back Jim

Your dreams were your ticket out.


Welcome back,

To that same old place that you laughed about.


Well the names have all changed since you hit the ground,

But those dreams have remained and they’re turned around.


Who’d have thought they’d lead ya (Who’d have thought they’d lead ya)

Back here where we need ya (Back here where we need ya)


Yeah we praise Jim a lot cause won the Mayor’s spot, welcome back,

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.


Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.


For any of you doubters and opposition supporters, winners never whine…and whiners never win.


.


Ding-dong! The old mayor is gone.

Oh yeah, happy day

Wake up a new day is about to dawn,

Rub your eyes, just one last yawn.

Wake up, the old mayor is gone


He’s gone where the goblins go,

Below, below, below. Yo-ho

Let’s open up and sing and ring those bells out.

Sing the news out.


Ding-dong, the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.

Let them know Arroyo’s old mayor is gone

Why everyone’s glad,

He took such a crowning

Bein’ hit by write-in’s tired of no accounting

Let ’em know Arroyo’s old mayor is gone


Welcome Mayor Hill !

Is the Sintra report published / and available to read ?


Yes go read the 7 pages of vanilla mush!


Sadly it is not worth the paper to print it on.


Leann said it was printed on toilet paper. Is that true?


There can be no legitimate “investigation” when, from the get-go, it is plagued by conflicts of interest.


Sintra Group, which performed the latest conflict-of-interest-laden investigation, is just another of Ferrara’s cronies doing his bidding.


Won’t it be refreshing to see an Officer, and a Gentleman when the cops pay the NEW Mayor a visit.


Congratulations to Mayor Hill! I for one was impressed with Mayor Hill’s opposition to making Arroyo Grande a charter city. Also the fact that Mayor Ferrara used tax payers money to better his own private residence did not sit well with me.


I have to wonder what else is going to be uncovered once honest people start looking around. The information in this Hill opinion piece tells a story of some really bad behavior by the old boy/girl network: http://calcoastnews.com/2014/11/hill-challenges-shoals/


“John Wallace, then Administrator of the sanitation district, didn’t want a fine on his record and prevailed on his friend, Arroyo Grande Mayor Ferrara, to challenge the fine with the regional water board.


The sanitation district board, led by Mayor Ferrara, voted to challenge the fine and hired an attorney to represent the district before the water board. The legal fees for the challenge came to about $750,000 –two and a half times the amount of the settlement offer – or about $25 per each resident of the District.”


Once again we have one old boy looking out for another and, once again, as usual, the taxpayers are the victims. Nice work AG voters. There is one old boy who will no longer be using your money to help out his pals.


Sadly, the Sanitation District situation may not improve. While having Jim Hill either on the board or appointing someone to it will be an improvement, having new GB mayor John Shoals or his appointee on it to replace Debbie Peterson may just return it to the stupid status quo. I hope Shoals will see the light and do the right thing but he was one of those in charge before when the wrong thing was done.


Hey listen…this about survival of the fittest. Herbert Spencer was spot on, Shoals is history…a soon to be part of the past.

Jim is gaining momentum with no slowing down in sight. The citizens have had enough.

Our new slogan is….”THE STATUS QUO HAS GOT TO GO”


Send some of your folks to the Sanitation District Meeting on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. It will be at the Oceano Community Services District chamber, 1655 Front Street, Oceano. Speak out against the most recent decision to sue the State. Take your video camera.


You can’t say our Karen isn’t gracious in her reporting….”Amid allegations of poor leadership….”. Although there is CLEAR EVIDENCE of poor leadership we take the high road. Nicely play Captain!