Diamond Bar Council Strips Horcher of Mayor Pro Tem Job

Four City Council members voted Tuesday night to remove Councilman Paul Horcher as mayor pro tem for leveling personal and political accusations at one of them.

The ouster, proposed by Mayor Phyllis Papen and seconded by Councilman John Forbing, is the stormiest clash yet to hit the newly incorporated city, where political alliances in a special election for state Senate divided several council members and sparked personality disputes.

Horcher, who had been aware of the pending action for several days, lambasted his fellow council members after the 4-1 vote. He stood up, pointed to his colleagues and exhorted members of the audience to “sweep them all from power.” Then, turning to Papen, he said, “You’ve harpooned an old enemy, but you didn’t kill me.”

Horcher, known for his occasional pointed remarks about county officials and political opponents when he was on the Municipal Advisory Council before Diamond Bar incorporated, has in the past argued vehemently with Papen and others on several matters. Until recently, however, he had remained relatively low-key during his nine months in office.

But that changed as things heated up in the race for the state Senate seat vacated by William Campbell (R-Hacienda Heights).

Horcher is a longtime supporter of Assemblyman Frank Hill (R-Whittier), who Tuesday won the Republican nomination to fill the seat. Hill defeated Diamond Bar Councilman Gary Miller and two other Republicans and will face candidates from two other parties in a runoff April 10.

On Jan. 29, Horcher distributed a news release attacking Miller for failing to disclose property he owns in San Bernardino County on conflict-of-interest statements. Horcher also criticized Miller for negotiating on the city’s behalf in a legal dispute over the opening of a road through Chino Hills, where he owns property. Miller says, however, that council members knew he owned land there before they appointed him chief negotiator.

Horcher had peppered his news release with disparaging comments about Miller’s Senate campaign, saying Miller was “bailing out of Diamond Bar” by running for a Senate seat instead of seeking reelection to the council.

In a recent interview, Horcher said that although he had known about Miller’s holdings for a while, he decided to go public with the charges only after a Jan. 23 closed-door council meeting in which the two men exchanged insults.

Before the council voted Tuesday, Papen said Horcher had “chosen to set aside his commitment to the council and felt his higher duty was to support Frank Hill and the campaign for his Senate race.”

“By innuendoes, unsubstantiated and undocumented, he has discredited the city blatantly, and by design, for his own personal gain. I think that disqualifies him from leadership on the council.”

Siding with Papen, the other council members chastised Horcher for attacking Miller. “He has impugned the integrity of the council,” Forbing said.

“One man took advantage of the situation and mixed politics together with city business in a press release,” Werner said.

After ousting Horcher, the council voted 4 to 1, with Horcher dissenting, to appoint Councilman Gary Werner mayor pro tem. Although the post is largely ceremonial, Horcher’s ouster may lessen his chances of becoming mayor after next April’s election. He was the second top vote-getter in the March, 1989, incorporation election and was considered by supporters to be next in line for the two-year position.

Horcher said his dismissal was nothing more than a political move to give Werner, the third-highest vote-getter, an edge in being chosen the next mayor. Forbing and Werner, whose terms expire in April, are running for reelection; Miller announced that he would not seek a second term after entering the Senate race.

“The thrust of this is to award one of the other gentlemen a title,” Horcher said. “It’s just a maneuver to hurt me and help either Werner or Forbing.”