Embattled Shasta County Elections Commission Receives More Resignations

A meeting of the Shasta County Elections Commission scheduled this week was canceled just before it should have begun, when not enough commissioners showed up to form a quorum. 

By 2 pm, the meeting had drawn a small crowd, including unsuccessful candidate for supervisor Laura Hobbs and Supervisor Patrick Jones. But ten minutes after the meeting was scheduled to start, only two Commissioners, Ronnean Lund and Bev Gray, were in their seats. 

Commissioner Lisa Michaud was absent for unknown reasons while Commissioner Susanne Baremore had resigned just hours before. Former Commissioner Dawn Duckett resigned a few weeks ago leaving one seat vacant.

On April 8, Jones announced during his county supervisor’s report that another Commissioner, Bev Gray, is also resigning. Jones did not comment on the reason for Gray’s resignation but said he’ll fill her seat by appointing Patty Plumb, who has just stepped up as a spokesperson for failed-supervisor candidate Hobbs in her legal action against the Shasta County Elections Office.

Baremore told Shasta Scout her resignation was due in part to Gray’s presence on the Commission, including her decision to voice a controversial radio ad which was pulled from the air and her declaration of support for Hobbs lawsuit. But Jones decision to replace Gray with Plumb is also concerning to her, she said, given Plumb’s role as Hobbs spokesperson.

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Reached by text on April 8, Supervisor Mary Rickert, who appointed Baremore, said she intends to leave the seat vacant saying she thinks the Commission as a whole is a waste of public money.

“I have not seen any productive work product come from this commission,” Rickert wrote. “I’m concerned about wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars.”

Her comments echoed those of Supervisor Tim Garman who also chose to leave the seat of former Commissioner Duckett vacant when she resigned a few weeks ago over similar concerns about how the Elections Commission is functioning.

In contrast to Rickert and Garman, Supervisor Kevin Crye says he still supports the concept of an Elections Commission but told Shasta Scout he’d like to see some changes in the way the Commission is utilized. A good focus, Crye said, could be for the Commission to work towards increasing voter registration across Shasta County.

The Commission’s work so far has largely focused on formalizing by-laws and calendars, hearing brief ad hoc committee reports, and listening to repeated allegations of election misconduct, often voiced by the same few community members.

That’s part of the problem, former Commissioner Duckett told supervisors yesterday.

“We the public,” Duckett said, “are growing tired of the false narrative that our election department is either corrupt or inept. It’s just not true.” 

Have questions, concerns, or comments you’d like to share with us directly? Reach out: editor@shastascout.org.