Hollister officials are following up on a complaint filed by former mayoral candidate Doug Emerson alleging four firefighter union members posed illegally while wearing city attire in a campaign mailer endorsing Mayor Ignacio Velazquez.
The fire union, in response to the investigation commissioned by the city, has criticized the city manager and Emerson and hinted at potential legal action in a statement released Monday.
Emerson, the former councilman who took second in the mayor’s race, filed the complaint about two weeks after the Nov. 6 election. Emerson could not be reached immediately. City Manager Clint Quilter, also referenced in the fire union’s critique released Monday, could not be reached immediately as Hollister City Hall was closed for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
The fire union statement pointed out that council members this month authorized the city manager to “continue with this investigation, authorizing the hiring of an attorney outside of Hollister.” It is unclear what dollar amount might be attached to the investigation.
The fire union statement alleged that four members are “facing harassment and retaliation” from officials, and called the complaint from Emerson a “vengeful and baseless” claim.Â
The statement alleged that the investigation was retaliation after the fire union’s vote of no confidence taken in May against Quilter and Fire Chief Fred Cheshire.
“This is a complete waste of Hollister’s taxpayer dollars, and the City Manager is using this complaint as a legitimate attempt to harass and retaliate against” the union, according to the statement.
Hollister Fire Fighters Association President Vince Grewohl in an interview called the complaint from Emerson “sour grapes.”
“Basically, what it boils down to is sour grapes,” Grewohl said. “That’s all it is. Losing candidate Doug Emerson waits until after the election to make a complaint regarding a union who endorses a fellow mayoral candidate.”
Grewohl contended that no city insignia was shown – a violation of campaign laws – in a Velazquez mailer. He said the union has posed for pictures in prior campaigns without any accusations of wrongdoing and claimed that Emerson even signed off on the use of a uniformed Hollister firefighter for a “Yes on Measure T” campaign mailer in 2007.
“It is the wish of the HFFU to work with the Hollister City Council and address this current situation without resort to litigation,” the statement reads, “but the HFFU will not stand for the City Manager, Fire Chief’s and City Attorney’s abuse of power to initiate a witch-hunt …”
Velazquez said he is from the “old school” where the losing candidate just congratulates the winner and moves on.
“This petty politics has to come to a stop,” he said. “We need to stop wasting city money on these things.”
Look back for more or read the fire union’s statement included with this story.
