Council Won’t Take Petrikin to Court Over Pay, Benefits

The City Council will not require former Councilman James D. Petrikin to return $6,500 in pay and health benefits he received his last months in office.

The city’s four remaining council members, meeting in closed session, opted against seeking repayment, saying the legal costs of seeking the money could outweigh the return. The repayment would have covered the time Petrikin allegedly lived outside the city, from December to May 5, the day he resigned.

“It could cost $13,000 or more to recapture the money, so it doesn’t make good business sense to do that,” Councilman John J. Collins said. “Secondly, there’s some feeling that we have dealt with this long enough and it has diverted our focus from important city matters.”

Petrikin filed real estate papers in December declaring his Northern California ranch a primary residence, an alleged conflict with state election codes that require officials to live within the jurisdictions they represent.

Residents targeted the three-term councilman for recall earlier in the year, citing his repeated absences from council meetings and a drunk-driving conviction in March.

Petrikin, 58, cited health problems for his resignation. He was unavailable for comment Wednesday.

City Council members will decide next week how to fill Petrikin’s seat. There are two options: appointing someone to complete the remaining two years of his term or putting the seat up for election on the November ballot.