Stanislaus County Democrats vote to ask for Patterson mayor’s resignation
Members of the Stanislaus County Democratic Party voted Wednesday night in favor of asking Patterson Mayor Dennis McCord to resign, saying misconduct allegations made against him have disrupted the function of city government.
“The body believes he lost the public’s confidence,” said Jess Self, chair of the Stanislaus County Democratic Central Committee, during a Friday interview with The Modesto Bee.
McCord, a Democratic official who also teaches math at Patterson High School, allegedly responded “Wish I was there” in October after receiving a bikini photo from an underage student via Snapchat, according to a police report. No criminal charges were filed, but he was placed on unpaid leave as the Patterson Joint Unified School District investigates whether he broke district policy.
Self said there were two parts to Wednesday night’s vote: the call for resignation and a general vote of no confidence. Self did not have an exact count of the affirmative votes but said both parts passed the minimum two-thirds requirement.
Though the investigation is ongoing and members took McCord’s rights into account, Self said the information that has come out led them to believe he violated provisions in the party’s bylaws about proper conduct and the ability to perform in his role.
These allegations have affected the Patterson city’ government’s ability to get work done, which also is a large reason the party believes McCord should step aside.
In the months since the allegations arose, McCord has missed public meetings at irregular intervals, and members of the public have begun calling for his resignation during public comment.
“We just really want the Patterson City Council to be able to move forward and do work on behalf of their constituents,” Self said.
Self said McCord was not endorsed by the party during his 2020 mayoral bid, during which he won 52.6% of the vote in a three-way race.
“We’re hoping that this maybe spurs some movement on his part,” Self said. “We have other council members in that area that are trying to do good work and do good things, and we want to make sure they feel that the party is supporting their efforts.”
Further actions continue
In addition to the vote and school board investigation, other actions on the political side seem to be moving forward.
Kandace Weyhrauch, a Patterson resident and homeschooling mother who has spoken publicly against McCord, confirmed via text that a recall process continues.
She said she has verbal commitment from proponents of the recall and it is being reviewed by a lawyer before having the proponents sign and serving McCord the notice.
Weyhrauch said the recall is based not just on the allegations but on how the situation has affected his performance as mayor, including irregular attendance at public meetings.
“He has not honorably executed the role of mayor in the city of Patterson,” Weyhrauch said.
Self said the party is aware of the budding recall effort, but there has been no request yet for it to participate. Members would have to vote again to decide on whether they will become involved.
The agenda for Tuesday’s City Council meeting includes a public hearing to discuss “options to address alleged misconduct of an Elected Official.”
During the Jan. 18 city council meeting, Councilwoman Shivaugn Alves became the first member to speak out against McCord.
“I truly hope that city leadership — advising legal counsel, the city manager, my fellow council members and the mayor himself — will move forward with integrity and uphold the ethical standards required of those in our positions,” Alves said. “Our work to begin to rebuild the public’s trust starts now.”
Alves, a teacher at Creekside Middle School, did not respond to a Bee inquiry asking if she was calling on McCord to be removed from his position. No other official has spoken out publicly.
This story was originally published January 31, 2022 at 7:30 AM.
