After appointing Anthony Freitas to the planning commission four
years ago, Supervisor Ruth Kesler has asked the Board of
Supervisors to yank him from the position three months before his
runoff election for the District 2 supervisor’s seat.
After appointing Anthony Freitas to the planning commission four years ago, Supervisor Ruth Kesler has asked the Board of Supervisors to yank him from the position three months before his runoff election for the District 2 supervisor’s seat.
And if Kesler succeeds in removing Freitas, it wouldn’t be the first time in the past year the board dismissed a planning commissioner.
Kesler, whose three terms on the board will end in January, said she wants Freitas out because they “don’t see eye to eye anymore.” Growth control is her main concern, she said. And while she supports slow growth, she believes Freitas is pro-development. Freitas disagreed and said he supports managed growth.
The matter is on the July 27th closed session agenda. It’s unclear if Kesler has enough support on the board to dismiss Freitas. Supervisor Reb Monaco said he wouldn’t support her. Supervisor Pat Loe declined to comment. And supervisors Bob Cruz and Richard Scagliotti didn’t return calls.
If he is removed, Freitas doesn’t think it would affect his chances to get on the board.
“What it does hurt is me, myself,” he said. “It’s like a knife was stuck in my heart.”
Freitas believes Kesler’s move is solely “politically motivated” – he and Anthony Botelho knocked her out of contention for the seat in the March primary election. County Counsel Karen Forcum recently informed Freitas about Kesler’s request and gave no specific reason for the board’s potentially abrupt action, he said.
“It is not because I lost the race to him,” Kesler said. “I just don’t feel he should be on the commission and running for the board of supervisors.”
It’s not unusual for planning commissioners to take the leap to board of supervisors. Loe was serving on the planning commission while she ran for supervisor in 2002.
Freitas and Botelho – both San Juan Bautista farmers – will face off in the Nov. 2 election. In the March primary, Botelho received 41 percent, Freitas 36 percent and Kesler 23 percent of the votes. In a primary with more than three or more candidates, the top two vote-getters move on to a final runoff election.
Botelho also expressed frustration when he heard Friday about Kesler’s request. He also thinks the move is politically motivated, he said.
“I tend to agree that it’s just vindictive politics as usual in San Benito County,” Botelho said.
The planning commission acts as an advisory board to supervisors on issues that range from new housing developments to growth-related ordinances.
Supervisors also removed Dennis Madigan from the five-member commission in September. He was appointed eight months earlier by Supervisor Reb Monaco, the only board member to vote against Madigan’s removal.
At the time the board attributed that decision to Madigan personally addressing residents’ complaints – when commissioners are obliged to refer complaints to supervisors. Madigan, who since created a government watchdog group, could not be reached for comment.
Monaco said Freitas has had a long reputation for being a good planning commissioner. He called Kesler’s move “purely political.”
“My concern is, why would you remove him at this stage? It just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”
Freitas wanted to run for the board in 2000, he said. But when he informed Kesler of his intention four years ago, she asked him to hold off for another term and instead accept an appointment to the planning commission, which he did, Freitas said. Planning commissioners also serve four-year terms.
In the past year of his campaign for the District 2 seat, he said, Kesler has asked him many times to resign from the planning commission. Kesler on Friday acknowledged she has asked Freitas to resign more than once.
Freitas said he didn’t cost Kesler the election.
“Ruth could have ran against an orangutan and she still would have lost,” Freitas said.
Kollin Kosmicki can be reached at 637-5566, ext. 331 or at
