Date: January 2nd, 2020
To: Mayor Art Welch and the Citizens of Banning :

After serving on the Banning City Council for 7 years (6 years in the minority), I have decided to submit my resignation effective January 13, 2020.

As you know, I am in strong disagreement with the direction the city has been taking and have given up all hopes that my presence on the council could change the self-destructive course Banning has now taken.

Specifically, the reasons for my resignation are as follows:

1. I cannot work with an unqualified newly elected Mayor like Daniela Andrade. Unreported by the Record Gazette, Daniela Andrade recently filed for bankruptcy with personal debt exceeding $200k. Having a Mayor like Andrade is not only a disgrace to Banning, it also sends a message that the people of Banning are ok with her representation. When in fact, they are not !

2. I cannot work with an unqualified Mayor Pro Tem like Colleen Wallace. Unreported by the Record Gazette, Wallace is a convicted criminal, probation violator, and was even charged with Felony Check Forgery. Having a criminal like Wallace as Mayor Pro Tem illustrates how low Banning has really sunk.

3. I cannot work with an unqualified City manager like Doug Schulze. Unreported by the Record Gazette, Schulze not only filed for personal bankruptcy twice, but also had three (3) of his homes foreclosed on. How can anyone displaying so little accountability in his personal finances be qualified to lead a city? Based on his track record, I predict that Schulze will lead Banning into bankruptcy in the years to come.

4. I am also tired of watching how our Electric Utility continues to gouge the citizens of Banning to such an extent, that they are now sitting on close to $30 million in cash. Over the years, this money was stolen from the ratepayers in violation of California Proposition 26 and used to pay the excessive salaries of our City Manager and Police Chief. But believe it or not, my colleagues on the council see nothing wrong with this theft: ALL of them are on board to raise your electric rates yet again.
The City Manager was hired to resolve our two-million-dollar deficit, but has only contributed to it, by increasing his own salary along with that of his best friend, Chief Hamner.

5. Lastly, I cannot work with Chief Hamner. Unreported by the Record Gazette, the District Attorney’s Office is contemplating filing charges against a Banning Police Officer for an on-duty murder. Chief Hamner has refused to place the officer on Administrative leave or inform the City Council of the results of / or if a shooting review board has even occurred. Chief Hamner and Captain Horn were never qualified to be police officers in California and are now the top paid managers in the City.

It has been my observation that the City of Banning is led by unqualified, narcissistic and compromised individuals, who care only about themselves and the special interest groups that finance them. I have no desire nor the time to take part in their charade.
I will leave you with this quote from Dr. Martin Luther King: “ To Ignore Evil Is To Become Accomplice To It ”.

Don Peterson
Councilman for District 2