Opinion: Bruce Ehlers should not be our mayor

By Bob Ayers

Bruce Ehlers continues to show that he is not suited to represent all Encinitans. His actions and policies repeatedly serve some at the expense of others.

In his early years, Ehlers was helpful in his engagement. He saw problems and worked hard in a collaborative and structured way to correct them. His activity was everything we wanted in a democracy and from our neighbors. He has the ability to identify a problem and apply his skills to solve it.

The zenith of his work was the authoring and passing of Proposition A in 2013 (which he still flaunts daily). His plan of requiring a public vote to approve certain developments meant (he thought) that his comfortable, secluded lifestyle in Olivenhain would be protected.

Then, something snapped around 2017. Ehlers’ Prop A, finally tested, was working against him. The votes that were supposed to protect his lifestyle suddenly clashed with state law, which required more housing to be built in Encinitas. A Prop A vote was triggered, and the voters said “no.”

But the state said “yes.” The voters said “no,” and lawsuits came flying at our city from the state, a builders association, and a tenants’ rights group. The court saw the obvious conflict between Prop A and state law. Bruce had not planned for this. In 2018, after millions of Encinitas dollars were spent on lawyers, the court ordered Prop A temporarily “suspended” to allow the city to comply with state law.

Prop A had backfired. Its effort to serve a small group became a disservice to us all.

We all saw the terrible result of this — a housing element was rushed into place to comply with the court’s order, resulting in very unpopular developments, all at a cost of millions of dollars in legal fees to Encinitas. The local control promised by Prop A did not exist. It does not exist. It is an idea that worsens a problem it was designed to prevent. (Spoiler alert: This is going to happen again.)

Then, Mr. Ehlers snapped. He had been serving as chair of the Encinitas Planning Commission. As a city commissioner, Ehlers had vowed to “perform such duties as may be specified by ordinance or resolution of the City Council or by the laws of the State of California.”

However, according to the City Council (and, no doubt, the City Attorney), Ehlers was not complying with his vow. His involvement with a community organization and his public comments made clear that he was actually working against the City Council.

Our city leaders asked Ehlers to kindly “step down” from his role on the Planning Commission. Ehlers said, “No.” The city said, “Yes.” Ehlers said “no” and forced a contentious hearing before the City Council, dividing the community. I will never forget Councilman Tony Kranz imploring Mr. Ehlers at the hearing to agree to change his ways. Ehlers refused the gesture. By unanimous vote, the Encinitas City Council stripped Ehlers of his role.

This has never happened in our city. Ehlers championed local control, the vow, and good governance, but he now rejects everything. He would not acknowledge his perceived conflict of interest caused by the conflict he created.

In a twist of fate (only in politics), being fired actually propelled him to a seat on the same City Council. It is a classic example of how “local control” really means “hyper-local.” Ehlers is very popular with enough of the good people of Olivenhain who share his wish for an Encinitas of old.

My law firm was involved in aspects of the creation of the City of Encinitas in 1986. Like a broken record, Ehlers seeks a return to that era by repeating “local control!” — mostly over land use. But local control really means having leaders who seek solutions that benefit all of Encinitas in a dynamic society.

Ehlers should not be our Mayor. Our Mayor represents all of us. Our Mayor’s conduct reflects on each of us, its visitors, and the many stakeholders who deal with Encinitas daily.

Ehlers’ “snap” found him in the company of a loud, disruptive group of supporters (and now two candidates in Shaffer and O’Hara) who get their energy from grievance. The list of complaints is endless, with solutions only serving narrow needs. Ehlers is a great advocate for single-cause issues that serve a small group of people. He does not work for all of us.

I encourage my fellow Encinitans to vote to keep Tony Kranz as our mayor. I have known him and his family all but five of my 65 years. He has taken us through very difficult times and contentious issues with all the grace and leadership of a great Mayor.

He maintains his vow to the city and its citizens. I see the people who support Tony (including Destiny Preston and Allison Blackwell) as open-minded, nuanced and collaborative, working hard to resolve complex problems. I hope you will join me to preserve, protect, and maintain a forward-moving and positive Encinitas.

Bob Ayers is an Encinitas resident.