There will be at least two names on the ballot for mayor of Lompoc this November: current Mayor John Linn and City Councilmember Bob Lingl.
Lingl announced his candidacy for the position in late July, stating in a previous interview with the Sun that he’s concerned about Linn’s alleged “disrespect for fellow council members, specifically Councilmember [Ashley] Costa” and disregard for proper procedure.
Lingl’s main point of contention revolves around Linn’s last-minute decision in early April to place a letter of facts on the council’s agenda in support of businessman Jim Mosby, who was involved in a lawsuit against the county over his sports park.
The move sparked accusations of a potential Brown Act violation, which the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office is currently investigating. The office is also investigating an alleged Brown Act Violation involving Linn and council members Dirk Starbuck and DeWayne Holmdahl, who all spoke in favor of Mosby’s sports park at a Santa Barbara County Planning Commission meeting earlier this year.
Linn talked to the Sun in a phone interview after returning from an 11-day backpacking trip with his Boy Scout troop. Lingl announced his candidacy during Linn’s trip.
“When I’m gone, things happen, and this was no exception,” Linn said. “I feel like I’ve done an outstanding job for the city. Some people disagree. When I came on as mayor, the city had a lot of problems. We were a depressed community, and we worked really hard to fix that.”
Linn added that he doesn’t believe he violated the Brown Act in either situation. He said he and the other councilmen didn’t speak before they attended the Planning Commission meeting.
“We went individually to the meeting,” he said, “and last I checked, in America you’re still able to express your opinions.”
There have been complaints about the fact that Linn and the other two councilmen introduced themselves as representatives of Lompoc.
In regards to the Mosby letter, Linn said he received the businessman’s time-sensitive request the day of the meeting.
“I brought it to the city attorney to see if it could be done, and when it should be done,” Linn said. “The council agreed to hear it. I read the letter that the city attorney drafted.”
The council ultimately voted 3-2, with Lingl and Costa dissenting, to sign the letter and submit it to the county. A Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge has since ruled in Mosby’s favor and the sports park has been reopened.
When asked whether he respects everyone on the council, Linn said, “I think I respect people differently on different issues based on what they know because of their life experiences.”
When it comes to business issues, Linn said he would most likely defer to the council members who have owned businesses.
“But if we’re discussing anything that has to do with wellness or social media, I would listen to Ashley because she’s very knowledgeable of those things.”
This article appears in Aug 14-21, 2014.
