Thumbs up: Making amends for a political slight

Thumbs up to Victoria Fleming, the newest member of Santa Rosa's City Council, for righting a wrong that took place during last year's campaign. Fleming used one of her first council appointments to put Mary Watts back on the city's Board of Public Utilities. Watts was a member of the board for three years as an appointee of Councilwoman Julie Combs. When she filed to run for council in 2018 against Fleming and Dorothy Beattie, Combs removed her from the board in retribution.

If you don't remember the backstory, Combs supported Fleming in the election and feared that Watts would split the progressive vote, allowing the more conservative Beattie to win the 4th District seat on the City Council. Commissioners serve at the pleasure of the council member who appointed them, so Combs didn't break any rules. But it was a harsh display of power politics, and we turned thumbs down on it at the time. In the end, Fleming won despite the extra candidate. And she setting a winning example by returning Watts to the Board of Public Utilities.

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