City councilor seeks to rein in mayor

SANTA ROSA — The hiring of a city administrator and police chief, among other new hires, and limits on the mayor’s power to authorize personnel actions and spending were among the items Santa Rosa councilor Erasmo Bravo asked the council on to act on.

The city administrator’s position has been vacant since Martín Martinez’s resignation in June. The city has had eight people in the position since Mayor Nelson Kotiar first was elected in 2018.

The city is also operating without a police chief since October 2022, when then-chief Angelo Romo was fired. Capt. Ernesto Pacheco, a former police chief who was also pushed out of the position at Kotiar’s urging, now is essentially acting in that capacity as the department’s ranking officer.

Bravo’s request also included the hiring of a director of entertainment, activity and social media, a director of human resources and a grant writer.

“All these positions will be hired in accordance with the (human resources) ordinance,” Bravo said of his proposal, with council votes to hire and set pay levels for these positions. Bravo said councilors should also participate in job interviews.

Further, Bravo said, “The mayor will not have the authority to suspend, move or terminate any city employees without council approval.”

Bravo also proposed the council act so “the mayor may not purchase anything without council approval.”

He cited unilateral spending actions by Kotiar that included:

— Giving employees extra days off during the holidays, which resulted in $10,000 a day in payroll costs.

— $25,000 for extra lighting on Reilly Road.

— More than $20,000 for balloons placed on light posts throughout the city.

— Free dances.

— Security guards to watch over the polls on Election Day “who were not needed.”

— Putting an advertisement in the newspaper about the swearing in of Bravo, for his second term in office, and newly elected councilor Joey Silva. The ad said a swearing-in ceremony would be 30 minutes before the April 9 council meeting, but each of the councilors had taken their oaths previously at private events.

Bravo also proposed that City Council meetings be made available via Zoom. At present, those unable to attend council meetings may phone in to attend.

Bravo, who attended the meeting by phone due to illness, said he would have liked to watch as well as hear reports from city program managers, which Zoom video allows.

Kotiar told Bravo that “I might have to send you back to Municipal League training” without further elaboration.

He proposed that Bravo and Kotiar meet with the city attorney “to see what we can come up with.”