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Candidates press for greater transparency after land purchase, trash contract and Placer.ai drew public concern
Summary
During the Ridgecrest candidate forum challengers and incumbents debated city transparency and recent decisions including a contested land purchase, the waste-management contract and use of Placer.ai foot-traffic analytics.
Candidates at the Ridgecrest forum repeatedly raised governance and transparency as a campaign issue, citing recent city actions that some residents said lacked adequate public input.
Tom Witnik criticized how the City negotiated a Balsam Street land purchase and the timing of related public notice. He said a social‑media poll showed 78% opposition to the purchase and argued that substantial land deals should be presented to the public earlier: "How can the people know that they can come down to City Hall and voice their concerns ... when they…
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