In Yorba Linda, Politics Is No Ordinary Affair

Fire the mayor?

Fire the interim city manager?

Suspend a special counsel whose investigation took down the last city manager?

Guess what city is scheduled to consider all three on Tuesday: Miami? Chicago? Los Angeles?

Nope. Sleepy little Yorba Linda, birthplace of Richard M. Nixon and home to a nasty, political blood feud that has paralyzed the City Council for eight months.

Councilman Henry W. Wedaa has put all three issues on the agenda of the next City Council meeting, the latest attempt to end a political standoff over former City Manager Arthur Simonian, relieved of duty in September amid allegations of financial malfeasance.

But Wedaa, an ardent Simonian supporter, may never have a chance to cast a vote.

Mayor John M. Gullixson has vowed to boycott the meeting, preventing a quorum and guaranteeing the meeting will be canceled.

“I may not even be in town that day,” Gullixson said Friday.

The four-member City Council has been split 2-2 since Simonian was suspended in September, a deadlock that will be broken in April after a fifth council member--newly elected Ken Ryan--is sworn into office.

Wedaa insists he made the motions in good faith: “I thought Ryan would be on the council by now.” Wedaa also added he only wants to “discuss” ousting Gullixson, who is being targeted by a recall effort aided by Wedaa.

Wedaa wants the city to sit down with Simonian and settle the matter--and drop a lawsuit against the former city manager to recover more than $300,000 that he’s accused of paying himself without the council’s authorization.

Gullixson called Wedaa’s motions an underhanded attempt designed to take advantage of another council member’s absence. Councilwoman Barbara Kiley, who joined Gullixson’s attempt to dismiss Simonian, will be in Texas next week for her daughter’s college graduation.

With Kiley gone, Wedaa and fellow Simonian supporter Councilman Mark Schwing have enough votes to suspend the lawsuit and fire Simonian’s replacement, since only three members are required for a quorum.

But if Gullixson is a no-show at Tuesday’s meeting, that plan evaporates.

“This is not the first time it’s happened,” said Dan Miller, the interim city manager whose job would be on the line. “We’ve actually had meetings canceled before because of this.”