WILLIAMS, CA (MPG) — The Williams City Council voted Tuesday to censure Councilmember John Troughton for remarks directed at Councilmember Kate Dunlap and for leaving a closed session meeting earlier this summer.
The resolution of censure states that before the July 16 meeting, Troughton asked Dunlap when she was “due” and, after learning she was not pregnant, told her to be careful with extra weight because she was a “small girl.” It also cited his decision to walk out of a closed session that night after being reminded by Mayor Maria Belmontes-Leyva of his obligation to participate.
The council adopted the resolution on a motion by Councilmember Don Parsons, seconded by Belmontes-Leyva. All members voted in favor, with Troughton opposed. The action does not remove him from office or restrict his duties but serves as a formal statement of disapproval.
At the meeting, Troughton defended his comments to Dunlap. “At the last meeting, before the meeting I was sitting here and I observed Councilwoman Dunlap come in. I asked her a question, she answered it, then I said be careful and something to that effect. She did not show outrage, upset, or any of that. It was a real cordial conversation. And I had some concerns.”
He also explained his decision to leave the July 16 meeting, saying it was a protest after other council members failed to acknowledge his concerns about finances and staffing. “Taking back to a finance meeting a year and a half ago, I suggested dropping two positions, one was a public works director, Mr. Kennedy mentioned four. When I did that I had in mind that we were going to put our budget in shape,” Troughton said.
Troughton went on to detail frustrations with a contract extension and raise for the public works director, which he said were not initially reported to the finance department. He also questioned spending on projects such as the traffic triangle at Fourth Street and said his concerns were repeatedly ignored.
“We ended up in a financial situation. I am in a meeting and we are blaming other people instead of the council and the city administrator who was once in charge of this,” said Troughton. “My point being is that I read a report and I disagreed with it, and I commented out to council, no one of them stood up and agreed that there were some deficiencies in the report, so when I heard that I said to myself that they are not going to back you on this, and time to do your own little protest and walk out of here.”
Two members of the public spoke in support of Troughton. “This is a personnel problem and should have been a closed session issue to start with,” said Caroline Vann. “It should have never been brought to the public until a decision was made.”
JoAnne Burnett, a resident of Williams, also objected to the censure.
“Whatever was said, I don’t think it was derogatory or I wouldn’t take that personally by any means,” Burnett said. “I am very disappointed with the City Council.”
Vann later added that she viewed the comment differently.
“The way I would take it is that he is concerned about [Dunlap] and he thought maybe, just maybe you were pregnant,” she said.
Dunlap said the censure was not about being offended but about upholding standards.
“I appreciate your comments regarding the censure. This censure is done truly as part of a legal proceeding of conduct for council members. We are held to a higher standard,” she said.
Later, she expanded on that point. “This censure is not because I was offended. It is to notify council members and the public that we are held to a higher standard of demeanor and a higher standard of decorum. And a higher standard of speech. We should not be directing comments about other people’s bodies. Secondly, we cannot get up and walk out in protest when things don’t go towards our satisfaction. Walking out on a closed session meeting does not show commitment to the community in my humble opinion.”
Troughton responded that the council should not censure his right to protest.
“To censure my right to walk out in protest when I have dedicated myself to this city, and to this problem, the deficit, and to other problems of spending money we didn’t need to spend, and we keep doing that. When we are nickel and diming by talking about occupancy tax at motels to make up our deficit problem, that’s not the solution,” Troughton said. “The solution is to start doing something that gets down to the nitty-gritty of this situation and quit looking at it as something will come along. We have to get back into the situation where we can account for and make hard decisions to make that decision.”
Mayor Belmontes-Leyva said she believed the disagreement highlighted the importance of full participation.
“I agree that we need to work together on a solution, but that requires us staying for the entire meetings and not walking out. We have a difference of opinions and voicing opinions is really important so we can come together and make a decision that benefits all,” she said.
City Attorney Ann Siprelle said censures are conducted publicly because they are statements of disapproval, not personnel actions.
“That’s the whole point, to make a public statement, that behavior is not acceptable,” she said.
The resolution of censure will remain part of the council’s official record.