Former Williams Mayor Pat Ash, founder of Citizens for a Better Williams, issued a challenge to the community and to those who came after her on the dais: be the kind of public servant that Councilman Sajit Singh was.
Singh’s high-back black chair sat empty at the Sept. 21 City Council meeting, the first since the Mayor Pro Tem’s sudden death the week prior; his brass name plate unmoved from its place at the table, where Singh was engaging and thoughtful in the decision-making process.
Singh, 49, died unexpectedly on Sept. 12, just a few days shy of his 50th birthday. He served on the Williams City Council for four years and was the top vote getter in a highly contested election in 2018 that unseated former Mayor Chuck Bergson. Prior to his election, he served on the Williams Planning Commission.
Singh, to those who knew him, represented positive change and commitment to the city and the many organizations he was involved with.
“He cared,” said Ash, during a somber period of public comment. “He cared enough to get involved. He cared about the museum and was a member. He cared about the direction his community was going and ran for city council to try to make a difference. He cared about his political party and was active and helpful at every turn. He cared about his alma mater.”
Ash said stories of Singh were endless. He was active as vice president of Citizens for a Better Williams, picking up trash, planting trees, and cleaning graffiti. He was involved, with his wife Colleen, in the Williams Community Center. He was part of the Williams High School Alumni Group as both a parent and the city’s liaison to the school district.
“We are a better community because for one bright shining moment, Sajit was part of it,” Ash said. “He will always be part of it. He set out to make a difference and he did. What we can do is follow in his footsteps…We have a huge job ahead of us to even begin to fill those shoes. It won’t be easy.”
At the time of his death, Singh had declared his candidacy for reelection and his name will still appear on the Nov. 8 ballot, along with Councilman Alfred Sellers, Maria Belmontes Leyva, and Kate Dunlap.
Although rare, candidates that die within such proximity to election day that there is not sufficient time under election-administration procedures to change the ballot, often win – something Williams officials said could leave Singh’s seat vacant after the election, despite there being a sufficient number of candidates remaining on the ballot to fill the dais.
The City Council, at their October meeting, is expected to establish a process for filling the vacancy by appointment, should Singh be reelected, which is likely, given his immense popularity.
“We for sure do not want to have a special election because it would cost way too much money,” said Councilman Don Parson, who expects there would probably be sufficient interest from individuals to fill the vacancy.
The council, at their next meeting, will also appoint a Mayor Pro Tem to conduct city business should Mayor Roberto Medoza, who had a recent brush with death himself, be unavailable.
At last week’s meeting, Ash was not the only one to pay tribute to Singh at City Hall.
Police Chief Jim Saso said Singh’s dedication to the community and city government meant a lot to him.
“He was at every event you can imagine and participated in them,” Saso said. “At the finance/personnel committee meetings, he was that guy who would challenge your ideas – but he was supportive. He wanted the police department and the community to be the best they could be.”
Since Singh’s death, numerous public meetings across Colusa County were opened with moments of silence out of respect for the late official.
Councilman Sellers said he, and many others, attended Singh’s memorial service, which was held in Yuba City on Sept. 17, which was standing room only.
“It was very moving,” Sellers said. “His funeral really brought it home to me – his age. I reflected on all the service he provided. He was relentless. He was a force to reckon with. Sajit was quite an asset. And what I liked about Sajit: He got to know you…He really made a point to get to know you. I recognized that over other council members and other people.”
Colusa County Board of Supervisor Chairman Merced Corona and Supervisor and former Williams City Councilman Kent Boes also attended Singh’s memorial.
“It was very appropriate and a very moving tribute to him,” Corona said. “He was a good human being.”
Singh was a lifelong resident of Williams and graduated from Williams High School in 1990. He is survived by his wife Colleen Beahan, whom he married at the Sacramento Valley Museum in 2020; his siblings; and his beloved son, Sohan.
His death has inspired a possible city memorial to remember and honor him and others who have meant a lot to the community, which now includes former Williams High School music teacher and Community Center stalwart Ron Simmons, who died Sept. 14, just two days after Singh.
City Administrator Frank Kennedy said an actual proposal has not yet been developed but his idea is to have more than just names on a brick, but a monument with plaques that tell a fuller story of an individual and his or her contributions.
“This would be different,” Kennedy said. “A name is nice… but to be able to have a brief description that in 100 or 200 years down the road, you can look up and say ‘that guy did all that?’” ■