Modesto police union backing candidate for mayor, criticizes 2 others. Here’s why
Councilman Doug Ridenour is getting financial support from local cops in his campaign to be Modesto’s next mayor, with contributions of $2,500 from the Modesto Police Officers Association and $200 from Police Chief Galen Carroll, according to the most recent campaign finance forms filed with the city.
And Ridenour — who is a retired Modesto police sergeant — and MPOA president Tony Arguelles in a Facebook video questioned the public safety claims of Mayor Ted Brandvold and Big Valley Grace Community Church Co-Senior Pastor Rick Countryman, who also are running for mayor.
There are eight mayoral candidates in all on the Nov. 3 ballot, including Councilwoman Kristi Ah You, community organizer Naramsen Goriel, political newcomer Erin Sommer Tenorio, and former Modesto City Schools board member Sue Zwahlen. Bert Lippert, the city’s building safety program coordinator, also is on the ballot but has dropped out of the race.
The most recent campaign finance forms cover Sept. 20 to Oct. 17 and are available online at modestogov.com/DocumentCenter/Index/580.
Ridenour interviewed Arguelles on Oct. 15 to clarify information put out by Brandvold’s and Countryman’s campaigns.
The two challenged a Brandvold campaign mailer in which the mayor states: “My top priority is to hire more police for Modesto. When I am re-elected I will work hard to reverse the council majority’s misguided decision to eliminate 30 police positions. ... It’s time to re-hire our police and protect Modesto.”
The mailer implies the council laid off police officers, which it did not do.
Ridenour and Arguelles said they support more police officers, but it’s a question of what the city can afford. They said the mailer misrepresents how Modesto made the decision to eliminate the positions to help balance a city budget battered by the new coronavirus pandemic. They said the decision was reached with city officials, including the police chief, working with the MPOA.
That is what city officials said when the City Council on June 30 approved the budget that reduced the allocated officer positions from 240 to 210, from the police chief to the newest rookie. Carroll said over the summer he actually had about 216 officers then, and the practical effect of the reduction is he would have about 210 officers as he did not replace officers who retired.
City officials have said hiring more officers would require deeper cuts to parks, recreation programs and other basic services.
Brandvold has made police officer staffing a top priority, and the council in 2016 approved his plan to increase staffing from 218 to 240 officers. But Arguelles and Ridenour in the video say the city has never been able to fill the additional positions. Carroll has said staffing has ranged from 210 to 230 officers and typically has been about 220 officers.
‘The positions were nice on paper’
“The positions were nice on paper,” Arguelles said, “but they were nothing more than allocations. They were not personnel on the street. And we had to worry about maintaining our personnel on the street. That was the primary issue for us.”
Brandvold has said public safety is Modesto’s No. 1 responsibility, and the council must look for efficiencies, including within the Police Department, to find more funding for it.
“I opposed the elimination and council member Ridenour supported and voted in favor, agreeing with a majority,” Brandvold said in a Monday text. He did not respond to the other claims about his campaign mailer.
Arguelles and Ridenour also questioned a “COPS Voter Guide” mailer that includes Countryman along with several other local candidates under the heading “VOTE TO SUPPORT PUBLIC SAFETY.” Candidates throughout California pay to be listed on local mailers produced by the Sacramento-based organization.
Arguelles said he wants it to be clear that the MPOA has endorsed Ridenour. “These voting guides are very misleading,” the MPOA president said. “... It’s false information. The Modesto Police Officers Association is not represented on this guide.”
Lee Neves, Countryman’s campaign consultant, said the COPS Voter Guide is not misleading because it has a disclaimer stating candidates pay to be in it. The disclaimer is at the bottom and states in part: “Appearance is paid for and authorized by each candidate and ballot measure which is designated by an *.” The voter guide with Countryman has an “*” with his and all the other candidates and ballot measures listed on it.
Neves said the guide only accepts candidates who support public safety. “It’s a tried and true form of communicating to the voters,” he said. “... It’s been around since the 1980s.”
He estimated Countryman’s campaign paid $2,000 to $2,500 to be in it. Neves also questioned Ridenour’s criticism, saying it’s an act of desperation for a candidate to complain about his rivals. Ridenour said in an interview he was simply setting the record straight about the endorsements.
County supervisors contribute to campaign
Including the donations from the MPOA and police chief, Ridenour reported raising $25,780 in the most recent filing period, bringing the total raised for his campaign to more than $65,000. His most recent contributions include $500 from Stanislaus County Supervisor Vito Chiesa’s Vito Chiesa Farms and in-kind contributions of $1,700 from Supervisor Terry Withrow and $2,000 from Supervisor Jim DeMartini for fundraisers.
Brandvold reported raising $15,240 in this most recent filing period, bringing his total to more than $138,000, including $35,000 he has lent his campaign. His most recent contributions include $2,750 from Canopy Growth USA LLC in Evergreen, Colo., $2,000 from U-Save Market, and $1,000 each from Loretelli Farms, MTC Distributing President Tom Eakin and former state Sen. Anthony Cannella’s defunct campaign for supervisor.
Countryman reported raising $13,020, bringing his campaign total to more than $125,000. The recent contributors include $400 from Anita Duarte, co-owner of Duarte Nursery and $1,000 from Gordon Heinrich, owner of Heinrich Farms.
Ah You reported raising $4,790, bringing her total to $117,237. Her recent contributions include $500 from Gene Radino with New Hope Recovery Systems.
Goriel reported raising $9,034, bringing his campaign total to more than $98,000, with family members among his contributors.
Tenorio is not raising money for her campaign.
Zwahlen reported raising $25,538, bringing her campaign total to $67,095. She was one of the last candidates to enter the race. Her recent contributions include $15,000 from the Stanislaus County Democratic Committee, $500 from Fiscalini Farms general manager Brian Fiscalini, $100 from Modesto restaurateur Paul Tremayne and $50 from Gallo Center for the Arts CEO Lynn Dickerson.
