Letters to the Editor: Public still hasn’t received an explanation for why Katrina Foley is no longer mayor

A couple weeks ago I wrote about the abrupt and unexpected removal of Katrina Foley as mayor of Costa Mesa by three members of the City Council: Jim Righeimer, Allan Mansoor and Sandra Genis. At the time no reason was given by those three council members for this unprecedented action, so the community was left to speculate.

Since that meeting many members of the community expected — hoped — for some clarity on this issue. Many expected Genis to provide a reason, but that was not to be. She remained basically mute on this historic issue.

Tuesday night the City Council met once again and, as expected, many members of the public stepped up to express their concern about Foley’s ouster and asked — some demanded — a reason. They received none.

Not only that, but adding insult to injury, during council member comments — after Foley used her time to thank those supporting her, informing us she’s not giving up, will continue to work hard on behalf of the city and advising us that she was joining other Orange County city officials on a journey to Washington, D.C., in December to seek federal assistance with the Sober Living Home issue — Righeimer used part of his time to accuse her of being “a cancer.” His exact words were, “There’s a cancer in this city and that cancer is Katrina Foley.”

Later he also accused Foley and fellow council member John Stephens of creating a hostile workplace at City Hall. As despicable as those accusations are, that last one is truly ironic since Righeimer’s policies had created a toxic workplace at City Hall.

Dozens of senior employees left for either early retirement or to other jurisdictions where their professionalism was appreciated. And his refusal to negotiate labor contracts made it virtually impossible to attract and retain new employees across the board. Three years ago he refused to let the Costa Mesa Police Department recruit for more than eight months, creating a staffing hole that will take until the end of 2018 to fill.

Those of us looking for a more conciliatory atmosphere on the dais Tuesday night came away disappointed. Based on what we saw, it does appear that now-Mayor Genis has changed sides and joined Righeimer and Mansoor in their quest to regain power.

It certainly appears that Righeimer has set his sights on Foley to quash her probable run for mayor next year and, in the process, he seems more than willing to destroy her professional reputation. These are indeed sad times for politics in Costa Mesa. As I’ve said many times before, Righeimer is the worst thing to ever happen to my city, period.

Geoff West

Costa Mesa

Why did Genis switch sides?

It has finally dawned on me what happened to cause the Costa Mesa City Council debacle. It’s this: Sandra Genis is now a member of the Good Old Boys’ Club. I wonder at what cost.

Sylvia Hatton

Costa Mesa

OCWD should follow South Coast’s lead

Kudos to the South Coast Water District Board for having the intelligence and foresight to determine that ownership of their own desalination plant was preferable to partnership with Poseidon, which would set the price and the amount of water that it would be obligated to buy.

If only the Orange Coast Water District Board was so enlightened and made the same decision, realizing that agreeing to a 50-year contract to daily buy the 50 million gallons of water that Poseidon produced, whether or not they could use that water, at a price twice the amount that they could obtain elsewhere, is not in the best interest of its ratepayers. There is still time for the OCWD to reconsider.

Richard C. Armendariz

Huntington Beach

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