Op-Ed: When leaders show you who they are, vote accordingly
Iconic poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou famously said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. People know themselves much better than you do. That’s why it’s important to stop expecting them to be something other than who they are.”
Having had the privilege of serving the Yountville community as mayor for 12 years with a total of 18 years on the Town Council, I know public service can be both satisfying and challenging. I also know that you can – and should – be held accountable for how you serve your community.
I feel strongly that the place I called home for 25 years needs and deserves new leadership to protect the community engagement, economic success, and overall quality of life that defines Yountville.
In the last couple of years, the feeling of togetherness between residents, business owners, workers and town officials has been fractured by animosity, distrust, and uncertainty over the town’s leadership and its vision for the future.
The cause of this extends beyond one new development project. It is rooted in how current leadership has reacted to questions and feedback from community members.
Yountville faced a similar crossroad more than two decades ago when construction of the Yountville Community Center was proposed. Some felt it was too expensive (roughly $10 million), too big, didn’t fit the town’s character, and risked putting the town in unsustainable long-term debt.
Sound familiar?
A major difference was how the Town Council responded and navigated through the concerns of residents and business owners. Elected leaders could have flexed their authority, disregarded public feedback, and pushed forward with the project. Instead, the decision was put before voters to confirm the majority of the community supported the development and its cost.
According to the town’s accounting, more than $14 million has been spent on the Yountville Commons project so far, with tens of millions of dollars more projected to build it over many years. The project’s scope and estimated total cost raise serious concerns on their own. Add to that the overall impact the project as proposed would have in the middle of town.
During the April 7 Town Council meeting about options related to the Yountville Commons project, Mayor Margie Mohler responded to resident concerns and the forecasted high costs that reached as high as $90 million. “It is ludicrous to think that we would go into this kind of debt,” Mohler said. That was after the more than $14 million had been spent to purchase and upgrade the property and payment for initial project conceptual designs.
Mayor Mohler, Vice Mayor Pam Reeves, Councilmember Eric Knight and Councilmember Robin McKee still remain supportive of the development project, and the past and future use of taxpayer dollars for a plan that many find conceptually flawed, financially risky and designed with little regard to public engagement.
Equally alarming has been the Town Council majority’s disregard of public feedback and its unprofessional behavior during council meetings targeting members of the public and even one of its own elected colleagues.
One startling example occurred during the May 5 Town Council discussion about the Commons project. During a heated exchange, Councilmember Robin McKee reacted to public comments from a resident, chef Thomas Keller, by claiming he misrepresented a meeting they had earlier about the project. “You’ve lied here once. It gives me no precedence that you’re not lying again,” McKee said to Keller, who denied her accusation. She later apologized for her inappropriate behavior, but it clearly had a negative impact on the public, especially those wanting to address the council in a public forum.
This election offers residents the opportunity to change that dynamic and vote for leaders who will serve the community with humbleness, respect, and transparency.
After all, when people show and tell you who they are, you should believe them – and their records.
John F. Dunbar
Former Mayor of Yountville
