Deputy Mayor Jim O’Hara may have mocked Brown Act concerns, but the real issue is the lack of leadership from Mayor Bruce Ehlers.
The Brown Act exists for a simple reason: the public’s business must be conducted in public. It prohibits councilmembers from discussing or deliberating on city matters outside noticed meetings, including through social media interactions such as emojis, “likes,” comments, or reactions.
At recent council meetings, Urban Forest Advisory Committee Chair Brad Lefkowits, who is currently running for the Disctrict 4 council seat, raised concerns that councilmembers may be violating these rules — rules that commissioners, committee, and council members are trained on by the city itself. That alone should have prompted a serious response from council leadership.
Instead, the concerns were brushed aside.
Councilmember Marco San Antonio admitted he shared an anonymous political post without knowing who created it and without watching it fully, only removing it after a resident complained. That kind of carelessness is troubling on its own, but it becomes more serious when it involves potential Brown Act violations.
Even more concerning was how the issue was handled publicly. During an official council meeting, O’Hara mocked the concern, joking about liking a dog photo posted to social media and saying he didn’t ask the dog’s political affiliation because he was “busy doing things that actually matter.” This wasn’t a spontaneous remark—it was delivered during formal councilmember reporting time, signaling a deliberate dismissal of the issue.
And the reaction on the dais was chuckling.
That moment reflects a broader failure of leadership. The mayor sets the tone for how seriously rules are taken. In this case, Mayor Bruce Ehlers allowed a situation where legitimate concerns about transparency were not addressed, but instead ridiculed.
Leadership is not just about what is said—it is about what is tolerated. By allowing mockery to replace accountability, the mayor signaled that these rules are optional, and that those raising concerns can be ignored.
When transparency laws are treated as a joke, it undermines public trust. And when that happens without correction from leadership, the problem is not just one councilmember’s comment—it is a failure at the top.