There are council meetings where the agenda moves smoothly and everyone goes home on time. Then there are meetings like this one.
Our latest Fairfield City Council session packed in youth scholarships, a sister city celebration, an affordable housing vote, a heated golf volunteer program debate, and a statement I made from the dais that I came prepared to make.
Watch the full meeting on YouTube here.
Addressing the Online Harassment Directed at Me
During council reports, I talked about what has been happening to me personally.
I described a sustained campaign of cyberbullying, doxing, cyberstalking, and online harassment directed at me: anonymous accounts, fake profiles, false information, and digitally manipulated images designed to demean, intimidate, and silence me. I told the room I have documented 56 separate incidents. The most recent involved an image of a dead body with fire.
I want to be clear about the line I’m drawing. Public officials should expect questions, criticism, and disagreement. That’s part of the job and part of democracy. What I described is something else entirely. Targeted harassment, threats, stalking, and the use of artificial intelligence to create racist and dehumanizing images aren’t legitimate political discourse. They’re attacks designed to silence a public servant.
I’ve filed a police report and requested guidance from the police chief and city attorney, and I’m taking action beyond documenting the harm.
What I’m Doing About It
I’m convening a community panel on cyberbullying, doxing, and harassment, timed to October’s National Bullying Prevention Month. On Wednesday, October 14th, National Stop the Bullying Day, I’ll host a live webinar open to residents who want to learn how to recognize online abuse, preserve evidence, protect their personal information, report credible threats, and access legal and mental health resources. If you’d like to participate or serve as a panelist, visit kpatriceforfairfield.com.
My goal isn’t to silence anyone. It’s to make sure people understand that online harassment causes real harm and that victims aren’t alone. Fairfield must remain a place where we can disagree without threatening, intimidating, or dehumanizing one another.
The mayor responded during his portion of the meeting with a formal statement on behalf of the council condemning hate-filled rhetoric and conspiracy theories directed at any person or group. He made clear that while First Amendment protections are broad, using public comment to spew hatred is abhorrent to Fairfield’s culture of inclusivity and diversity, and he committed to using his own First Amendment right to speak out against that rhetoric whenever it appears.
Celebrating Our Young People
Before the harder moments of the evening, the chamber filled with something genuinely good. Fairfield PAL’s summer Business Etiquette Gauntlet program produced two scholarship winners. Alex and Alana competed through a nine-station gauntlet evaluated by local professionals, handling real-world challenges from difficult customer service scenarios to professional introductions. Their performance was strong enough that Valley Strong, which came prepared to award one $1,500 scholarship, added a second. Both students earned it.
Israel, a PAL intern supported by LS Power, was recognized for a summer of quiet dedication. He showed up, asked what else he could do, cleaned, reset spaces, and supported staff without being asked twice. That character earned him a $1,500 internship award.
The Fairfield Sister City delegation returned from Nirasaki, Japan. Student ambassador Ryan Lee spoke beautifully about cooking hoto noodles, bonding with elementary school students across a language barrier, and feeling embraced by his host family. Five students and their chaperone received certificates from the council. Fairfield is now looking for two host families for the winter exchange, November 28th through December 11th. If your family would consider it, visit the Fairfield Sister City website.
The Fourth of July parade award winners were also recognized, capping an evening of celebration that stood in meaningful contrast to the tension that followed in public comment.
Affordable Housing Got a Yes Vote
Item K5 on the consent calendar was pulled for separate discussion, and it mattered. The Taber Commons affordable housing project, 67 units in Councilmember Panduro’s district, received council approval for a second amendment to its development loan agreement. The vote unlocks funding from both the city and Solano County, with Supervisor Monica Brown appearing in person to confirm the county’s conditional approval and ask for a yes vote.
Construction is targeted to begin in February. This is the kind of concrete, community-serving housing investment I’ve championed on the council.
The council also voted to formally support Measures P and Q on the November ballot. Measure P would extend and increase the city’s local transactions and use tax from 1% to 2% to maintain funding for essential city services. Measure Q would transition the city clerk position from elected to appointed. Both measures now carry the official support of the city council.
The Golf Volunteer Program Debate Continued
If you followed the golf marshal volunteer program discussion from the previous meeting, which I covered in A Fairfield Council Meeting Worth Paying Attention To, this one picked up where it left off.
The city came back with a policy implementing the Golf Advisory Board’s recommendation, but a volunteer representative raised concerns that the key benefit of playing alongside paying customers hadn’t been fully preserved. The standby-only model, where volunteers show up the morning of and hope for an open tee time, fell short of what many marshals felt was workable.
The vice mayor and I pushed for clarity on what was actually in the Golf Advisory Board’s formal recommendation versus what was discussed during the meeting, including whether up to 30 volunteers per course was formally adopted or simply mentioned.
The council voted to send the policy back for a formal amendment that properly incorporates all the documented GAB recommendations into the written record before final adoption. It returns on the consent calendar at the next meeting. The marshals have served these courses faithfully for decades, and getting the policy right matters more than getting it done fast.
Public Comment Reflected a City in Conversation With Itself
Public comment was, as at recent meetings, a mixed picture.
The Williams family appeared again seeking accountability and communication in the Maurice Williams case. His uncle, Rome Stevenson, spoke with genuine grace, reporting that Maurice is doing better and asking the council to agendize a discussion on policies governing the restraint and takedown of children, with families with lived experience at the table when those policies are developed. That’s a reasonable and important ask.
A Girl Scout named Adeline spoke about her junior bronze award project getting trash cans installed at Vintage Green Valley Park. Simple, practical, and exactly the kind of community investment we should celebrate.
Several speakers used their three minutes to direct criticism at me. I sat through all of it, and I stayed ready to do the work of governing.
Fairfield Is Still Worth Showing Up For
Meetings like this one aren’t easy to sit through, but they’re not optional.
Local democracy needs residents who pay attention, show up, hold their elected officials accountable, and refuse to let the noise drown out the substance. The substance of this meeting was real. Young people were celebrated. Affordable housing moved forward. I spoke up for myself and for every resident who has ever been targeted online. And the work of governing Fairfield continued, imperfectly and honestly. That’s what our city looks like when it’s working.
For campaign and election information, visit ElectKPatriceWilliams.com.
Learn more at kpatriceforfairfield.com.
Watch the full council meeting here.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What did K. Patrice Williams announce about cyberbullying at this meeting?
I disclosed 56 documented incidents of online harassment directed at me personally and announced a community webinar on October 14th, National Stop the Bullying Day. Residents can sign up at kpatrice4fairfield.com/stopbullying.
3. What are Measures P and Q on the November ballot?
Measure P would extend and increase the city’s local transaction tax from 1% to 2% to fund city services. Measure Q would change the city clerk position from elected to appointed. Both now carry the council’s formal support.
5. Where can I watch the full council meeting? Watch it here on YouTube.