The next few months should be very interesting in Palm Springs as we gear up for the fall elections. As I have already written, it appears that key power players and influential groups have united around 4 of the candidates, one for mayor and 3 for council. There may however, be one more act in the drama yet to be played out.
Outgoing Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet is currently under FPCC investigation for casting a vote involving a conflict of interest with involving his friend/employer Rich Meaney. Now some of the mayor's supporters have complained about the person who filed the complaint. That is a meaningless red herring. The fact that the FPCC took up the investigation means they believe the complaint has some merit.
The following is pure speculation but one has to wonder if in order to end the investigation, Pougnet might perhaps cut a deal with the FPCC, resign, pay a fine and ride off into the Colorado sunset. The impact of this would be minimal as far as governance is concerned since he has missed a lot of council meetings recently and only has 5 left before the next election. In fact, the Desert Sun Editorial Board basically threw down the gauntlet calling for Pougnet to either show up or leave town last month in an editorial.
Paul Lewin would take the gavel for those meetings but there would be no special election and by waiting till after November's filing period had closed, Mr. Pougnet would make sure no harm could come to Ginny Foat who is basically running as his 3rd term. (Don't believe me, look at her supporters and his from 2011. Almost a complete match.) Many have speculated that if given an earlier opportunity, Mr. Lewin himself would have run for mayor. But since the mayor stayed in office, Mr. Lewin did not want to risk losing his council seat while Ms. Foat, not being up for election, has a "free shot" at the office.
As aforementioned all of this of course is speculation but it is not beyond the realm of possibility. What continues to amaze me in this affair is no one knows what the mayor actually did while in the employ of Mr. Meaney that justified 2 years of a 6 figure salary? And if Steve Pougnet resigns and cuts a deal with the FPCC we may never know.
Steve Kelly is a free lance journalist based in Cathedral City Ca and can be reached at svericker@yahoo.com
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