This morning’s scheduled no-confidence vote by the police union notwithstanding, under-fire Police Chief Don Pedersen has the pivotal electorate on his side.
His bosses. His only bosses.
In an uncommonly long Closed Session preceding last night’s City Council meeting — the subject was how to answer the no-confidence vote results, and the delay was a whopping 45 minutes — Mayor Chris Armenta had news for the sizable crowd assembled in Council Chambers.
He prefaced his remarks with a notation about how the Closed Session had been devoted to a “job evaluation” for the chief , which was a diplomatic cover.
Then Mr. Armenta made what may have been an unprecedented statement under the circumstances of siege.
In articulating the Council’s pre-emptive strike against the anticipated vote, the Mayor said, crisply:
“We support the direction and the vision of Chief Pedersen.”
Direct, uncomplicated, unmistakable.