The county Democratic Party gets stuck on issues big and small.

Democracy is, by design, messy. The political party machines that operate mostly behind the scenes are also plenty messy. (For recent examples, see: the Republican presidential primary of 2016, the Speaker of the House appointment of 2023.)

In theory, most of the sausage-making is done out of sight, and what is presented to the public is a polished party platform, a unified front in support of one candidate. Sometimes, however, that is not the case.

It’s certainly not the case currently for the Monterey County Democratic Central Committee. While the committee could be focusing on candidates or ballot measures for upcoming elections, its members are instead reduced to fighting with each other. Meetings can barely proceed because there is a debate about who is or isn’t a voting member (members must be current on their dues). Members are filing harassment complaints against each other, claiming they are belittled and insulted during meetings.

But all of this is relatively petty. Meanwhile, the party is likely to close down its physical headquarters, the Center for Change in Seaside, because it’s out of cash. When the committee last met on Zoom on Feb. 28, it was reported that $5,931.62 remains in the bank – an especially problematic sum after the California Secretary of State notified the Central Committee it owes a penalty of $6,798 for the late electronic filing of campaign finance documents.

Of course, like any political entity, the party can hold a fundraiser to pay its fines, but asking people to donate to pay penalties is a little less glamorous than asking them to support a candidate who promises to fight for what they believe in.

Yes, politics is messy, but there’s supposed to be something inspiring in it. The current state of the county Democratic Party is anything but. It’s mostly name-calling and bickering about procedure, and trying to figure out how to mete out punishment to each other. One fundamental debate: Whether the committee’s executive board is a public body or not, and whether minutes of the executive board’s meetings should even be kept.

Party Chair Karen Araujo argued no: “We are not a public body,” she said on Feb. 28.

Amit Pandya, a committee member representing a Salinas district, pushed back: “We are not secretive, in black, smoke-filled rooms making decisions,” he said. “Transparency and openness [are] very important.”

Never mind that most members of the Democratic Central Committee, like its Republican counterpart, are publicly elected by voters; local Democratic clubs also send members, and elected partisan officials are automatically appointed, and generally ask an alternate to attend in their stead. (For example, U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, does not attend meetings; instead, Vinz Koller, a former party chair, serves as his alternate.)

Pandya recorded part of a past executive board meeting, for which he was publicly reprimanded in February. But Pandya is unashamed, and says creating a public record – even of the tough discussions about finances and fines for late filings or overdue bills – is intrinsically important for the party. “There has to be a bottom line to any public-facing organization. That’s transparency, openness and honesty,” he says.

If the Democrats at any level, local to federal, are going to advocate for better governance, shouldn’t they be able to at least govern themselves like adults?

The party is likely going to have to make some adult decisions in the near future so it can get back to trying to do what a political party is supposed to work on. They may give up the Center for Change, which costs $1,500/month in rent. They may update their bylaws.

Araujo, meanwhile, hinted in February that she is hopeful about raising funds and moving forward – she envisions a coffeehouse series of events at the Center for Change and is at work on a forthcoming fundraising letter, about two months after the previous development director, Pris Walton – who remains a member of the Central Committee – resigned. In her resignation letter, Walton wrote: “The current leadership is chaotic, dysfunctional, non-transparent and autocratic.”

These are exactly the values Democrats are supposed to be fighting against. It’s discouraging if they can’t even figure out how to do that at the local level.

SARA RUBIN is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@mcweekly.com