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Bryant Moynihan
By LORI A. CARTER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Bryant Moynihan, a former Petaluma city councilman and frequent critic of city leaders, is the first candidate to apply to fill the vacancy on the City Council.
Moynihan, a councilman from 2001 to 2004, runs a commercial real estate brokerage and management firm in Petaluma, where he has lived for 25 years.
He has become an outspoken critic of the council, the city manager and city staff members over how the city is run, particularly with regard to the budget and the wastewater treatment plant.
Twice he gathered enough signatures to force citywide votes seeking rollbacks of water or sewer rates, based on his argument that the city has wasted millions of taxpayer dollars. Both measures failed.
The council has a vacancy in its seventh seat since David Glass left his council term early when he was elected mayor in November. The council is scheduled to consider applicants for the appointment to the seventh seat at its Jan. 31 meeting.
A Jan. 3 meeting to discuss how to fill the vacancy devolved into a testy 3-3 stalemate of the current six-member council. Its members are split ideologically between those who want strict management of development and those more welcoming of it.
While some political insiders say Moynihan is too polarizing to stand a chance to win the appointment, he stressed his independence from both blocs in his application.
“I offer the currently elected council a unique choice; I will agree to disagree with both political camps on a frequent basis,” he wrote. “And, I will allow both political camps to sway me with logical arguments.”
He also added a colorful critique of the current council’s recent gridlock.
“Our City Council as a body cannot continue to act in such a dysfunctional manner. The future council needs to act in a logical manner and with integrity,” he wrote. “The council needs to stop bickering and dividing itself along political lines. Copious amounts of valium may be a solution. The Council should at least go back to having wine during their dinner breaks and going out together for a drink after the council meeting. Having a council member occasionally fall asleep during the evening meeting is still preferable to watching a dog fight.”
Applications are being accepted until Jan. 20. Four candidates who ran for City Council in November say they will apply for the seat: Jason Davies, Ray Johnson, Gabe Kearney and Karen Nau. Jeff Mayne, who run unsuccessfully for mayor in November, and former Mayor Pam Torliatt, who lost her bid for the Board of Supervisors, are also considering applying.
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Geeze people! Calm down! There is no way that Bryant would be appointed to the City Council. He could not muster four votes from the city council just as Jason couldn’t.
Here is Tiffany Renee’s comment:
“I have no confidence in the application process…The three members that voted against Jason are seeking a majority and I’m sure they have candidates of their own that they would like to see on the board. The only real process would be to have a special election.”
What a negative attitude. It is Tiff’s way with Jason Davies or a special election. No compromise. November 2012 can not come soon enough.
Bryant epitomizes everything that is wrong with the Petaluma council. Any wonder why employees are outspoken? Isn’t this town embarassed enough? The city is in serious trouble – another $4 million in the hole. And he’s making jokes? Move away, Bryant. I’ll help you pack.
You said it, Watch Pup.
Moynihan has PERSONALLY cost the City of Petaluma somewhere in the neighborhood of $450,000 with his two sociopathic ballot measures. Granted other recent and current councilmembers have cost the city much more money than that. But they were devious enough to cover it up.
Still I’d rather have either the horrible samantha freitas or the rude clark thompson back on council before moynihan.
Sure, let’s appoint the guy that’s been trying to bankrupt our city. How does he have so much time to waste?