Humboldt Board of Supervisors vote to not censure Steve Madrone after conduct violation
HUMBOLDT COUNTY, Calif. — The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors decided not to censure Supervisor Steve Madrone over comments about the Trinidad Rancheria.
"There were some comments made by Supervisor Madrone. There was a complaint made, and the finding is really less about the comments that were made. And the fact that an explicit statement wasn't made, that those weren't the opinions of the entire board," Humboldt County Director of Human Resources Zach O'Hanen said.
The comments in question came from Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone in which he reportedly said rancherias do not have the same rights as "real tribes."
"I apologize to the Trinidad Ranch area, and anyone else who was offended by my remarks, at that said meeting. I'm sorry for any hurt my remarks may have caused. I recognize and support that all federally recognized Indian tribes, including the Trinidad Rancheria, possess equal rights and status under the federal and state law," Supervisor Madrone said.
A formal investigation into the allegation found Supervisor Madrone violated the board's code of conduct by not "explicitly stating" that his individual opinions and position do not represent the opinion of the entire board. Ultimately—the board voted to not censure Supervisor Madrone by a 4-to-0 vote with Madrone abstaining from the vote.
One of the requests from the Char-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria is for a formal government-to-government consultation. The board directed staff to explore the idea of a committee, which could be brought up at a future meeting.
