LAFCO board fails in a third attempt to seat a new representative of the public.

The third time was not the charm for the Local Agency Formation Commission of Monterey County, with commissioners stalemating yet again on Monday, Oct. 26 in selecting a new member to represent the public.

Commissioners failed to reach consensus on candidates in April and in August, with three commissioners standing staunchly behind longtime incumbent Matt Gourley and Monterey County Supervisors Wendy Root Askew and Kate Daniels refusing to vote for him. In order to win, at least one supervisor, one special district representative and one city representative must vote in their favor.

As a result, Gourley remains in the seat per state law, despite the fact that his term ended in May.

“I guess it’s the way the policy falls back. It’s an un-voted on, unconfirmed, somehow member of this body,” Daniels said.

On Oct. 26, yet another motion to approve Gourley to the four-year position failed, with Chair Mary Ann Leffel, a representative of the Monterey Regional Airport District, Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue and Chad Lindley of the Monterey County Regional Fire District voting in favor and the two supervisors voting against, joined by Seaside Mayor Ian Oglesby.

Root Askew and Daniels went partly down the list nominating several other candidates—Belinda Taluban, Matt Huerta, Murtaza Mogri and Ray Cancino—from a list of 11, each subsequent vote failing.

A frustrated Root Askew asked which candidate commissioners were willing to support, “because this is not respectful of those that put their names forward,” she said.

“I would agree,” Leffel said, before repeating her position of support for Gourley. “My position is the same, that I will vote for the person that I believe is most suited on this list.”

Root Askew then charged it was not a fair or open process for the candidates. Leffel disagreed, calling the three commissioners' support of Gourley a “personal preference” based on working with him.

Daniels asked Gourley if he thought it was time to “pass the baton,” his answer was "no," citing his historical perspective, his knowledge of agricultural land mitigation issues and relationships with key decision makers in South County. He called that knowledge and perspective “priceless.”

They briefly discussed tabling the matter to the next meeting, but as Daniels suggested, it would be wasting the public’s time. As a result, Gourley remains in the seat until something changes in the future.