Scott Voigts as Mayor

In my last article, I discussed some key character qualities that a mayor should possess: leadership, integrity and wisdom. The great thing about this wonderful nation is that elected positions are open to anyone who endeavors to serve the community in which they live. There is no “job description” for this job; it’s available to anyone who wishes to run for City Council. And it is our hope as residents that those applying for the job will have the integrity to do the right thing while under our employ.

There are two issues with the Mayorship of Lake Forest: residents do not get to elect the mayor, he is appointed by the Council. The other problem is the voting bloc that Dwight Robinson, Scott Voigts and Andrew Hamilton freely exercise for every decision. This means that we may not get a Mayor that we deserve, simply because the Council majority decides amongst themselves who will be Mayor, without insight from the other two Council members - Adam Nick and Jim Gardner.

This is a very serious issue, because it is the residents that pay for these decisions. The Mayor sets the tone of the Council Meetings, and he also sets the agenda, and we are seeing the results. We now have a Mayor presiding over meetings that appear to be more of a circus than a Council meeting, and under Scott Voigts (our current Mayor), the Council’s performance and concern for the residents has come under question. I would like to list a few examples of how our current Mayor, Scott Voigts is performing -

• He abruptly left a meeting claiming to be sick but then spent time in the parking lot complaining about residents. (July 21)
• He lied on the dais when he claimed not to wear a wire while trying to entrap a fellow council member (he didn’t succeed)
• He insulted residents and visiting officials from other cities
• He disparaged fellow council members
• He yelled at residents (myself included)
• When residents expressed approval for something the Council did, Voigts praised their comments, and went so far as to say “God bless you”, yet ordered unhappy residents not to laugh or applaud
• He threatened residents to hold 5 minute breaks every time he was upset. (Nov 17)
• He abruptly demanded that residents stop speaking when their 3 minutes expired, stopping them in mid-sentence. Further, we timed the public comment period, and for residents expressing concerns, their time expired at 2:47, while those praising the Council were permitted to continue speaking beyond their allotted 3 minute time. (Nov 3)
• He conducted private conversations on the dais, and may have violated the Brown Act, which is a felony
• He held the longest ever meetings in the history of the City, going beyond the 10:30 marker 6 times, and even past midnight.
• Voted for himself to be appointed to the Vector Control Board, when a qualified candidate had applied for the position.
• Currently being recalled

This list is quite sobering. No one is perfect, but some items on this list go beyond minor imperfections and crosses the line in a manner that is unbecoming of an elected official. Although it is difficult to share such negative information, I feel it is my duty as a concerned citizen to make others aware of the Council for which we have voted. This information is strictly intended to educate the residents, and to help us all make good decisions when it comes time to place our vote for our next Council. The recall is underway, and soon we will be circulating petitions for you to sign. It is my hope that we will be casting our votes to replace Dwight Robinson, Scott Voigts, and Andrew Hamilton soon. For more on Voigts, Hamilton, or Robinson, click on the links.

If you would like to be a part of the positive revolution for Lake Forest, please:

Join us on Facebook at “A Better Council For Lake Forest”, or
Email me at Lakeforestrecall@hotmail.com and
Visit http://citizenstoendcorruptioninlakeforest.org/