BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - During the Golden Empire Transit District’s monthly meeting last night, concerns over resignation requests for some board members were addressed.
GET Board of Directors chair Kathleen Ashland, who is retiring to be with family in Arizona, commented on the recent pressure imposed by some city council members calling for the resignation of two GET board members.
”I am concerned that people are working to decimate the GET board and management and run our excellent CEO out of town,” said Ashland. “Why would they want to penalize our riders and undermine our community's bus system? Karen King is a transit professional of the highest caliber. If my town treats her like this, who do they think they can get next?"
The request from resignation of two GET board members has come from Bakersfield Vice Mayor Ken Weir, who has been the most vocal on the subject.
There were no resignations announced.
Ashland then discussed the financial demands the board works with to meet the needs of riders in Bakersfield with limited funding.
She was also critical of the 34 day bus strike, adding that it could have been resolved sooner through arbitration.
Much of the added controversy stems from recent bus route changes, which included the removal of stops from the BakersfieldHomelessCenter, Clinica Sierra Vista and the Bakersfield ARC.