Charged with embezzlement and misuse of city funds, Lompoc 1st District Councilmember Steve Bridge showed no intention of stepping down from the dais after one of his peers called for his resignation.
“I will be found not guilty. Therefore, I’ll continue to support and represent every member of the community and District 1,” Bridge said at the council’s Dec. 2 meeting. “I have not committed any crime.”
During his arraignment in Santa Maria Superior Court on Dec. 4, Bridge pleaded not guilty to eight felony counts—which include charges of forgery, identity theft, and property theft that totals to nearly $10,000. Santa Barbara County District Attorney John T. Savrnoch filed the charges in late November.
Bridge told the council about his plea decision shortly after 4th District Councilmember Jeremy Ball and a handful of public speakers asked him to resign in light of the charges.
“The lawyers tell me the best path for this is to make no comment in either social media or the news. But even so, I’m going to make a comment,” Bridge said at the meeting. “A lot of news has been going around about me. It has been with a great deal of restraint that I haven’t commented on social media, that I normally am on, but I don’t want to feed the drama. … I believe in the American justice system and I’m confident that through the court process, I will be found not guilty.”
Earlier in the meeting, Councilmember Ball requested that staff either bring back the steps needed for the council to hold a no confidence vote to determine whether Bridge stays on the council, or to immediately strip Bridge “of any committee assignments where he represents the city of Lompoc.”
“It is not appropriate to have someone with this cloud of charges representing the city of Lompoc in any sort of manner from my perspective,” Ball said. “We are elected officials. We are held to a higher standard. We are the fiduciary overseers of the city budget, and it is up to us to make sure we are staying aboveboard and not bringing reproach upon this city.”
Neither of Ball’s requests moved forward for exploration after some moments of silence.
“No support, … I hear that loud and clear. I received no support from this council,” Ball said. “There have been over 600 city council people to serve in jurisdictions throughout Santa Barbara County—600 plus. I could not find one example of a sitting city council person that has been charged with this level of criminal charges. Everyone deserves their day in court, but it is up to us as a council to rebuild trust within our community.”
Lompoc Mayor Jim Mosby said that “the due process component needs to lay itself out” before the council weighs in on Bridge’s circumstances.
“We don’t have black robes on up here. We are policy makers, we are not judges,” Mosby said. “I think tainting the jury pool and playing the games that are being played right now need to chill out.”
“You’re going to lecture me about this?” Ball said.
“I did not call you out directly,” Mosby responded.
During public comment, Lompoc Valley Democratic Club President Carson Link was among the speakers who asked Bridge to step down.
“Steve, I really do count you as a friend. I’ve told you many, many times, for good and for bad, you remind me so much of my own father,” said Link, who described Bridge as a good standing and due-paying member of the Democratic Club.
“I’ve known you through there for a couple of years now, we’ve spoken many times about policy and we agree on more things than we don’t,” Link continued. “Unfortunately, tonight though, I am here to join the calls for you to step back out of your position. … If you are innocent, you can come back and make us all eat crow, and you can run again and probably easily win. But, right now, this is a stain on our community.”
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 15 in Santa Maria Superior Court.
This article appears in Dec 11 – Dec 18, 2025.