Facing 25 criminal charges, Lompoc Councilman Stephen “Steve” Bridge narrowly avoided a rare censure from his colleagues Tuesday night prompting supporters of a reprimand to shout “shame” as they left City Hall.
The Lompoc City Council considered a possible censure and resignation request of Bridge who has been charged with a combination of 20 felony and five misdemeanor counts alleging he stole public money.
The accusations stem from applications submitted for city-operated rebate programs related to lighting efficiency and water leak repairs. Criminal charges were filed in November.
For months, Councilmember Jeremy Ball has pushed for some sort of public action or statement by the panel about the allegations against Bridge.
Ball noted the censure resolution would help restore public trust by showing disapproval although ultimately the reprimand would be “toothless” and “powerless.”
“But it is council making a statement about what it believes is right versus what it believes is wrong. Period,” Ball said.
Tuesday night, Ball read comments Bridge made to an investigator about using an inactive contractor’s license name and number on one rebate application.
Bridge told an investigator the city needed a receipt for work which was performed by his stepson, who is not a licensed contractor, “so I ginned that thing up” and then added “maybe that’s fraud” and admitted it might seem “probably a little shady.”
“It is not our position to judge your innocence, but it is our position to determine whether or not the ethics of this institution is being respected,…” Ball said, adding that his colleague’s comments made him pause. “These are your words Mr. Bridge.”
“I can only say those words were taken out of context and anything else should be adjudicated,” Bridge said.
Reading a prepared statement for nine minutes at the meeting, Bridge claimed he became targeted because he asked staff questions, opposed general taxes and questioned regulations.
He also portrayed himself as the victim of an unjust legal system contending “something that could be charged as a misdemeanor gets charged as several felonies.”
“Every single count adds more years that you could be facing. They pile up enough counts and the math gets terrifying — not because their proof is strong, because the risk is enormous,” Bridge said.
He said a plea agreement is offered, not because a case is strong but so prosecuting attorneys don’t have to prove the allegations, leading to a threat of more felony charges if a defendant refuses to take a deal.
In reality, the number of criminal charges against Bridge grew after the preliminary hearing where witnesses testified about various aspects of the investigation.
Bridge said the criminal allegations caused him to lose his job with a aerospace contractor at Vandenberg Space Force Base and required dipping into retirement funds.
Standing up for innocence is expensive, he added.
“It’s not a negotiation. It’s not efficiency. It’s a pressure put on a human being until that human being breaks. This is not justice. This is torture. I can take it,” Bridge said, adding he can stand to fight the allegations in public. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Mayor Jim Mosby vehemently backed Bridge, again trying to put the blame on city staff review procedures. He also asked about an independent audit on the rebate programs and questioned acceptance of applications with faulty information.
“This is my concern — is this a level of normalcy with this application process?” Mosby asked.
“I think the difference here, Mr. Mayor, is we’re talking about somebody that’s elected to office sitting next to you. Do you have a different standard for our elected officials or are you looking for a way to distract?” Ball asked.
Mosby also claimed he knew about the allegations against Bridge before the criminal case became public, drawing a reaction from the audience.
“There was a gloating about getting him,” Mosby said.
“From who?” Ball asked.
“I’m not going to tell you,” Mosby said.
Mosby and Ball are both running for the mayor’s seat in the November election.
Councilmember Dirk Starbuck, a staunch Mosby ally who is not running for re-election, voted against the censure proposal, but didn’t speak during the discussion Tuesday.
In voting for the censure, Ball was joined by Victor Vega, who also has a challenger in his bid for re-election. Vega typically sides with Mosby and Starbuck, but offered lukewarm support that “something needs to be done.”
“This is just a standard that I would have thought already would have been in place,” Vega said.
Bridge abstained from voting on the censure motion, so the proposal’s 2-2 tie meant the motion failed.
Angry audience members shouted their disgust, “Shame. Shame. Shame,” as the mayor asked police to remove them from chambers.
“You’re out Mosby,” one man yelled. “You won’t be mayor next time. You’re done.”
A large crowd showed up for the item which was discussed more than two hours into the meeting, starting at approximately 9 p.m. and lasting until 10:15 p.m.
“I’m here tonight because I believe our community deserves something that cannot be measured in dollars or votes — trust,” said Yasmin Dawson, community activist. “When residents elect someone to public office they are placing their trust in that person. They are saying I trust you to represent me, I trust you to respect this office, I respect you to put the community before yourself.”
Bridge’s case returns to Lompoc Superior Court on Oct. 22 where the judge may rule on a pre-trial motion to dismiss all or some of the charges. A trial date for the case has not been scheduled yet.
