Cloverdale council reorganizes; gives Todd Lands, Gus Wolter second 1-year terms

Cloverdale Mayor Todd Lands and Vice Mayor Gus Wolter were reelected to their posts for second one-year terms by a 4-1 vote during the City Council’s annual reorganization on Dec. 14.

Melanie Bagby, who voted no, could not be reached for comment.

Two new council members, Brian Wheeler and Marjorie Morgenstern, were sworn in and helped vote in Lands and Wolter.

The council presented outgoing members Joe Palla and Marta Cruz plaques and paid tribute to them. Palla had been appointed to fill in for former Mayor Jason Turner, who resigned for business reasons in May 2021. Cruz, who had received the most votes when she ran in 2020, was elected mayor by the council to serve the remainder of Turner’s term, and then was replaced by Lands in 2022.

Cruz disagreed with Lands’ getting a second term as mayor when she had been turned down last year to serve her original full term because she was told the council’s tradition was to rotate the office.

Wolter said he believes Lands did such a good job he deserved a second term.He said he told Lands he would be glad to serve as his vice mayor a second time.

You can reach Staff Writer Kathleen Coates 707-521-5209.at kathleen.coates@pressdemocrat.com.