Tonight’s Harrison Hot Springs council meeting that was never officially called to order has come to an end.
Before calling the meeting to order and the land acknowldegement, Mayor Ed Wood accused three councillors of staging a coup.
“In my opinion, there is a coup being led by (Coun. Leo Facio), supported by (Couns. Michie Vidal and Allan Jackson),” Wood said. “What happens next, only time will tell.”
The mayor sat for several minutes in silence as Facio, Jackson and Vidal expressed great offense at accusatory remarks made by Wood. He would not clarify what the councillors did to constitute a coup, saying, again, that there was bullying, harassing and the creation of a toxic workplace. Wood said he had no further comment “due to the confidentiality of the issue.”
Jackson threatened to leave over Wood’s “vicious” comments.
“I demand, right now, an apology. Stand up and be a man and tell us what you’re talking about,” Jackson said. “I have never harassed or bullied anybody in my life. Growing up, I was bullied a lot, but I worked my way through it because I was man enough to do it. You’re not. Stand up and be counted or I’m leaving here right now.”
Vidal echoed Jackson’s sentiments, noting she was “deeply offended.”
“Mayor Wood, I’m totally disgusted that a mayor from this community would start a meeting in that way,” Facio said. “It’s totally disgraceful and demeaning, the comments you’ve just made.”
The mayor sat in silence for nearly the entire rest of the 13-minute gathering.
More to come.