Solano County supervisors start new year amid allegations of open government violations

Solano County leaders started the new year the same way they ended 2009: with infighting and 3-2 votes.

During the opening moments of the Board of Supervisors’ first meeting of 2010, the vote for a new chair, vice-chair and chair pro-tem caused a rift.

Wasting little time, Supervisor Barbara Kondylis claimed Brown Act violations by three members of the board and said sexism prevented her from being selected chair of the board.

Supervisor John Vasquez was voted chair for the second time in as many years. And as she has the last two years, Kondylis took exception to being passed over for the post. The vote was 3-2, with supervisors Kondylis and Linda Seifert voting against Vasquez’s appointment.

“It’s chairman,” Kondylis said, emphasizing “man” while speaking to supervisors Vasquez, Mike Reagan and Jim Spering. “I thought we got rid of this crap in the ’80s. This is the most sexist and outrageous slap I’ve ever received. You all should be ashamed of yourselves.”

She continued after Reagan was elected vice-chair, by a 3-2 vote with Kondylis and Seifert voting against. Kondylis, formerly the vice-chair, claimed Tuesday was the third time she’d been passed over and that she had only served as chair twice in 17 years on the board.

“You guys had it all set up before you came in here. It’s a violation of the public’s trust,” she said. “I’ve always managed to get along with everyone, prior to the election of a certain few on this board. I’ve always been a person who tried to get along and be cordial. But I think those days are over. Good luck to you all.”

Spering, too, had some things to get off his chest and fired back at Kondylis. He brought up the fact that Kondylis refused to vote in favor of the budget in 2009, even after, he said, supervisors made concessions to appease her.

“I didn’t vote for you for vice-chair (in 2009), what makes you think I would vote for you for chair?” Spering said. “It’s not appropriate to vote for someone who didn’t vote for the budget.”

As the lone vote in favor of Kondylis, Seifert spoke on her behalf. Seifert, who is starting her second year in office, called the vote inappropriate, but wouldn’t go as far as to say it was discussed prior to the meeting. On top of being disappointed in the outcome, she said staff never provided her with a list of past chairs nor an explanation of how the position had been rotated in the past.

Along with wanting more responsibility as a board member – which, she said, likely won’t happen – Seifert called for board members to put their political affiliations aside and do what’s right for the residents of the county.

“Having liberal, conservative and a moderate views helps. We all benefit in finding a balance of those views,” she said. “I will continue to do whatever I can to reach a consensus. Counting to three (votes) is not what it’s all about.”