Ryan Calls His Resignation a Mistake and Re-Enters Race

He did it for his wife.

Veteran Rancho Palos Verdes Councilman Robert E. Ryan said Tuesday he resigned from the council last week to make life easier for his wife, City Clerk Jo Purcell. But in the past week, his critics in City Hall have made life worse for her, said Ryan, and now he regrets his decision.

As a result, he remains a candidate in the Nov. 7 election, he told reporters Tuesday at his Rancho Palos Verdes home.

“Her life has been made hell” and she “has been ostracized” by co-workers and managers, Ryan said of the atmosphere for Purcell in City Hall.

City officials, including Mayor Jacki Bacharach, disputed the allegations of harassment, saying Ryan’s resignation was a pre-election “publicity stunt.”

Bacharach said she was disgusted with how Ryan has dealt with the election. “It’s an affront to the people of Rancho Palos Verdes that he’d play with this election.”

Purcell declined Wednesday to discuss specifics about her work conditions, but she said the situation has caused her to see a doctor. She said she wants to remain as city clerk, a job she was appointed to in 1982 after serving as deputy city clerk since 1976.

“I want to keep my job. I’ve enjoyed my job ever since I started work at City Hall, and I think I do a good job,” she said.

Ryan announced his resignation Oct. 17 in a letter he left for the council. It did not discuss the status of his candidacy or explain why he was resigning. It was read to the council by the clerk, Purcell. In addition to Ryan, running for the two council seats are: Bacharach, retired deputy assessor David F. Roche, businessmen Alan J. Carlan and Steven Kuykendall, environmentalist Kay Bara and attorneys Robert McNulty and Thomas E. Gibbs.

Ryan said Tuesday that his resignation letter originally contained a statement that he would not serve on the council if reelected. But Purcell persuaded him to omit that in case his leaving city government did not cause things to improve for her in City Hall.

“They didn’t get better. She feels like now she’s under more assault,” said Ryan.

Councilman John McTaggart and one city employee agreed that working conditions for Purcell are difficult. Among other things, they cited unflattering cartoons of Ryan, McTaggart and Bacharach that have been circulated in City Hall.

“I feel there is a concerted effort at City Hall to make Jo Purcell’s life miserable,” said one employee, who asked not to be identified

Other city officials, however, deny that working conditions for Purcell are unpleasant or that she has been harassed by co-workers or supervisors because they dislike Ryan.

Bacharach said Purcell has not been ostracized by workers and said the problem exists between Ryan and City Manager Dennis McDuffie, “not between Purcell and the staff.”

McDuffie is out of town and could not be reached.

Ryan has had policy differences with city administrators and with several council colleagues about the city’s plans to permit development of hotels and golf courses along the coast in what has been a residential area.

In addition, Ryan engaged in a heated dispute with Environmental Services Director Robert Benard about Ryan’s plans for an addition to his house on Menominee Place.

Benard, who is acting city manager while McDuffie is away, said he is unaware that Purcell’s life has been made difficult in City Hall. “She has not made any comment to me about it,” he said.

The Ryan-Purcell marriage prompted the council to vote unanimously in May to have neighboring Rolling Hills Estates oversee the November election. The council said it feared the appearance of a conflict of interest.

“There’s no conflict of interest,” Purcell said Wednesday. “In other cities, city clerks have married council members and there is no conflict of interest.”

Ryan, who has been on the council since 1973, said he has resumed campaigning and is sending out mailers. He anticipated that the events of the last week would cost him votes, rather than help him. He said supporters have called and told him they cast absentee ballots for others in the past several days.

“If anybody asks me why I got out, I am going to say I got out because your family comes first,” Ryan said Tuesday.