Opinion: For good of the city, Holly Blair should resign immediately from Lemoore City Council

At the center of this rare rebuke is first-term councilmember Holly Blair, who currently faces a mounting recall effort, which from all indications, could very well be successful. Such is the angst – and the anger – of Lemoore’s increasingly concerned citizenry, most of whom appear fed up with her behavior.

At their most recent meeting, as approximately 200 attentive residents watched, councilmembers asked for Blair to resign, in part to save local taxpayers the cost of implementing a recall election.

She refused.

The Leader staunchly urges her to reconsider. She should resign, and if she continues to resist, Lemoore’s electorate should recall her.

Why has it come to this? Why are council members condemning one of their own, a judgment so extreme that censures rarely occur in California government?

Ms. Blair, by virtue of her embarrassing behavior and her tenuous relationship with the truth, has become a detriment to our community. Lemoore deserves better, much better than an elected leader more obsessed with raising havoc and generating publicity for herself than in building a better, safer community.

A fractured council isn’t good for business either. It sends misguided signals to prospective developers and inquiring companies, some of whom seek good government and positive relationships as they contemplate setting up shop in Lemoore.

The council’s concern is so high that four members have accused Ms. Blair of conduct unbecoming a councilmember, a damning allegation, but one that certainly rings true. The list of inappropriate behavior is notable:

• Ms. Blair has accused city officials of lying to her, which city officials deny.
• A relentless user of social media, Blair often posts questionable, profane, and misleading comments, some of which disparage fellow council members, most notably the mayor.
• In a memorable series of text messages with Lemoore Chief of Police Darrell Smith, Blair claimed that police officers stopped her “six times’ in two months for reckless driving, an inaccurate statement and refuted by evidence supplied by Chief Smith.
• She has claimed that Lemoore officers are trained in intimidation tactics and have employed them against her.
• Blair has threatened to campaign against councilmembers, suggesting in a post: “I wouldn’t be this cocky if I wasn’t absolutely sure that y’all are going down.”
• Blair has refused to sign a code of conduct. While not required to, the remaining four council members have signed the document.
• Late in 2017, Blair attempted to blame a young driver for an accident at the intersection of 19th Avenue and Bush Street, but a California Highway Patrol investigator, using eyewitness accounts and video proof, ruled that Blair was at fault.
• She has accused city officials of intimidating her because she refused to vote their way, citing specifically the hiring of current city manager Nathan Olson. Interestingly, Councilman Eddie Neal also voted not to hire Olson, but he has never suggested any intimidation from city officials. Neal supports censure.
• At the August 12 meeting in the Lemoore Civic Auditorium, Blair is seen on video, displaying boorish behavior – employing questionable gestures and eating – as numerous speakers chastised her for her behavior.

Blair's antics are not the kind of conduct we expect from Lemoore’s elected leadership. We demand a higher sense of responsibility from our elected officials, particularly at the local level, where councilmembers and citizens are often on a first-name basis.

While we support her resignation and possible recall, The Leader urges all those who support Blair’s removal to refrain from name-calling, and avoid questionable language and personal insults. Instead, stick to the facts and the apparent reasons for the recall. Facts are relevant, and in this case there are plenty of them, more than enough to make a difference.

Lemoore has been blessed throughout the years with stable, dependable leadership. Indeed, the last 118 years have seen policy disagreements among council members, but never have Lemoore’s citizens been subject to the kind of rancor and instability created by Ms. Blair.

Lemoore would be much better off if Councilmember Blair resigns.