Marysville Mayor Ricky Samayoa came under fire this week for asking a prospective applicant to not apply for a City Council vacancy.
Former council member Michael Selvidge, who created the vacancy with his resignation, and city resident Connie Walczak took Samayoa to task during Tuesday night's meeting. During the public comment period, they criticized the mayor for asking former county supervisor Bill Simmons to back off from putting his name up for consideration.
Selvidge said he was "appalled" when he heard that Samayoa had asked Simmons to back away. Simmons was earlier endorsed by Selvidge.
"I expected better than that when we continue to have time for people to submit applications," said Selvidge. Walczak, a leader in last year's fight against California Water Service Co. rate increases in the city, said it was "upsetting" to hear of Samayoa's request of Simmons.
"What possibly would prompt somebody to do something like that?" Walczak asked.
Samayoa did not comment during the meeting. But the mayor said Wednesday he made the request, saying he wanted to avoid the contentiousness resulting from previous council appointments.
"In the past, we went through this and it was a bit emotionally charged and it became a bad situation," Samayoa said. "For me, it was not wanting to go through that same kind of emotionally charged issue."
At the same time, he acknowledged asking Simmons not to apply rather than Bruce Buttacavoli, the only other person who so far has announced an intention to seek the seat.
"I think we have differences in how we move forward," Samayoa said of Simmons. "They (Simmons and others) are against the Bounce Back initiative. They have publicly stated they are against the things we have been working on the last two years."
Simmons opposed the city's failed sales tax measure in November while Samayoa and Buttacavoli were supporters. However, Simmons is a member, along with Buttacavoli, of the city's steering committee for the Bounce Back economic development initiative.
Simmons said he was asked last week by Samayoa not to seek the vacant post. He said his response was — "Are you kidding me? That's not going to happen."
"I have never seen anything like this so openly aggressive," Simmons said Wednesday morning. "If I had known this was going to be a campaign, it would have been a different story.
"But I think what he said was totally inappropriate and exceeds his authority as a member of the City Council and a representative of the city."
The council is accepting applications through 4:30 p.m. Jan. 29 for those interested in filling the vacant seat, possibly as early as the council's Feb. 3 meeting. Though no applications had been filed as of Wednesday afternoon, Simmons and Buttacavoli have said they intend to apply.
"We need to move forward in the city of Marysville," Samayoa said. "We are doing some great things and have done really great things in the last couple of years."
Simmons said earlier that if he were appointed to the seat, it would be his intention to not run for election when the term expires in November 2016. Now, he said, that may not be the case.
"With what has happened, I am leaving all my options open," he said.
CONTACT Reporter Eric Vodden at 749-4769.
