Recall and replace Hughson trio

Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010 Opinion - Modesto Bee Editorials

For far too long, the people of Hughson have put up with a City Council plagued by petty politics, conflict and dysfunction. Tuesday, the city's 3,000 registered voters will have an opportunity to recall a trio of controversial councilmen and replace them with three new faces. There are two basic issues on the ballot. First, residents will decide whether to recall Thom Crowder, Doug Humphreys and Ben Manley, whose name still appears on the ballot even though he resigned earlier this month. Each vote will be separate.

Then, voters will elect the people who will replace council members should they be recalled. Two people are vying for each seat, with the top vote getter in each contest winning. That is in contrast to a regular Hughson council election, in which candidates run at-large and the top vote-getters in the field are elected. We've always been cautious about recalling elected officials, believing that action should be reserved for cases of egregious behavior that disrupts the ability of the elected body to carry out its duties. But that is exactly what has happened in Hughson over the last year — and especially since December, when the Stanislaus County civil grand jury issued a scathing report that concluded that Crowder, Humphreys and Manley violated the Brown Act, the state open-meeting law, by conferring on issues over e-mail and plotting to remove the city manager. The grand jury also found that Crowder violated the Fair Political Practices Act in promising to use political influence while seeking another the job.

The grand jury said all three should resign; they refused. In the months since, Hughson council meetings have become something of a circus, with many 3-2 decisions. The city has been functioning without a permanent city manager and still does not have a formal budget for 2010-11. Most of the city's nearly two dozen employees appear to be working admirably in the midst of this conflict. Construction is under way on a water treatment plant, and maintenance is being carried out. But many things are not getting done, and they won't until there's a major change in the council. We urge citizens to vote "yes" for all three recalls. Manley is already out, and Crowder, often the ringleader in the problems, did not file to run in November. Humphreys can be reasonable at times, but also has demonstrated a hot temper that interferes with his ability to work cooperatively with his colleagues.