HUGHSON — The Hughson City Council on Nov. 24 agreed to table a request to approve the mayor’s attendance at the U.S. Conference of Mayors after residents and several council members raised concerns about cost and whether the event applies to a city of Hughson’s size.

Staff presented item 3.3 asking the council to consider approving the mayor’s attendance in Washington, D.C., and noted the action could proceed if the expense is covered in the council’s training and meetings account. Council members flagged budget limits and questioned the return on investment from past conferences.

A public comment submitted by Danielle Perez and read aloud by council staff said the conference "is for mayors with a city population over 30,000" and noted the trip "is going to cost the city $5,386.74 out of our general fund." The comment asked why the mayor would attend an event that does not appear tailored to Hughson’s population.

Multiple speakers from the public also criticized the travel cost and distance. One resident questioned why the event location chosen was distant and said they had found lower-cost venues in other cities, adding, "I don't see the fruits" of prior attendance.

Council members discussed options that included approving the request, rejecting it, or continuing the item to a future meeting so Mayor Carr could explain what benefits the city had gained from prior conferences. Staff said the item could be continued if council wanted to hear directly from the mayor.

Council member (Speaker 7) moved to place the item on the next meeting’s agenda for additional discussion; the council agreed to table it and revisit the matter with the mayor present.

Action taken: items 3.1 and 3.2 on the consent calendar were approved as presented; item 3.3 was pulled from consent and continued to the next meeting for further council review.

The council did not take a final vote on the mayor’s travel authorization; the matter will return at the next meeting.