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Farmers, residents tell Solano supervisors they lack representation; allege permit and election problems
Summary
Public commenters at the June 2 Solano County meeting alleged election irregularities in Suisun, urged restoration of District 4 representation, described a farmer briefly barred from the Rio Vista market over permit questions, and criticized high resource-management permit fees.
Several members of the public used the Solano County Board meeting on June 2, 2026, to press the board on local representation, election integrity and county permit requirements for small farmers.
Steve Olry accused local elections of irregularities in Suisun and suggested some outcomes were improbable. "For those who need to know, there's only 4 aces in a deck…a smart cheat won't get caught with 5 aces," Olry said, characterizing a recent council result as implausible and saying he had complained to the board previously. No board member provided a substantive investigative response at the meeting; the remark remained an allegation on the record.
Gal Coley (Pleasants Valley Ag Association) said District 4 lacks voting representation and described a case in which a farmer was temporarily told they could not sell at the Rio Vista farmer market because of permit noncompliance. Coley said the farmer’s ability to sell was restored after a telephone apology and contact with an outside office (he referenced Mike Thompson’s office). Coley asked the board for immediate representation in District 4 and urged an overhaul of rural residential zoning to reduce barriers for small farms that supply local markets.
Ben Lyons of Lockwood Acres told the board he had been assessed roughly $42,500 in permit fees for farm‑related structures he characterizes as by‑right uses. Lyons said the county’s valuation and permit fees are unaffordable for small growers and asked for fee reform and clearer definitions for farm structures.
Joseph Joyce, president of the Solano County Fair, invited supervisors to the fair and described repair and fundraising needs; Karen Warburton (UC Cooperative Extension area director) introduced extension programs and local events, noting upcoming Master Gardener and food‑preserving workshops.
What’s next: These public comments put a variety of local concerns on the record. The transcript shows some claims (for example, the Rio Vista farmer-market permit issue) were resolved informally before or during the meeting; others (allegations about election irregularities and the $42,500 fee assessment) were presented as unresolved grievances and may require follow-up with county staff or election officials to verify and, if warranted, investigate.
Provenance: Public comment record (transcript segments SEG 527–SEG 887).
