On Tuesday, December 15, the Lake County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to rescind a resolution thay had adopted on March 3, 2015, that would have placed an advisory measure on the November 2016 ballot asking if the county should adopt a declaration of support for seceding from California in order to participate in the formation of a new "State of Jefferson".
The proposal to rescind was brought forward by Board Chair Anthony Farrington at the request of community residents. Farrington questioned the “Jefferson” movement's financial analysis, which fails to take into account many sources of state funding received by the county as well as direct support from state agencies, access to California’s higher education system, and branding for agricultural products. The importance of this support was particularly evident during the wildland fires that devastated the county during the past summer.
Local “State of Jefferson” proponents retain the option of gathering signatures to place the matter on the ballot by petition. Lake County Jefferson Declaration Committee member Randy Sutton of Upper Lake did not raise objections to rescission of the resolution authorizing the advisory vote: “This will proceed, with or without county government,” he said.
Redwood Chapter Chair Victoria Brandon of Lower Lake, who serves as Keep It California county coordinator and has been a vocal opponent of the “Jefferson” plan since it was first presented to the Board of Supervisors in December 2014, urged the board to rescind the resolution.
“What seems to me the center here is that we have been told over and over again that the issue is lack of representation. I think we have seen that lack of representation in Lake County is not a problem,” she said, adding that Assemblyman Bill Dodd and State Senator Mike McGuire “have stepped forward dramatically in our time of need” to make sure state agencies responded to help the county during the fires. “County residents need to concentrate on recovery efforts rather than squabbling with each other about a political notion that isn't going to happen anyway.