BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — A disputed plan to keep Bakersfield Recovery Services operating inside Kern County’s Family Justice Center was rejected on Tuesday after a board vote shaped by recusals, an absent supervisor and a random drawing to restore a quorum.
The Kern County Board of Supervisors voted against approving a retroactive occupancy agreement with Bakersfield Recovery Services. The agreement would have allowed the organization to provide services for victims of crime at the Family Justice Center through March 2028.
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The proposal has been controversial for months following the Kern County District Attorney’s Office decision to move away from the Open Door Network, which previously operated inside the center.
This marks the second time the board has delayed the vote on the matter. The board postponed the decision in late March.
During the meeting, one speaker criticized the process, saying, “The public deserves transparency…not backroom politics.”
Earlier discussions on the issue were delayed because of conflict-of-interest concerns involving Supervisors David Couch, Chris Parlier, and Jeff Flores, tied to their acceptance of campaign money from Bakersfield Recovery leadership.
Supervisor Leticia Perez was absent on Tuesday, leaving Supervisor Philip Peters as the only supervisor without a conflict. That was not enough to hold a quorum, so two names were randomly drawn, allowing two recused supervisors — Flores and Parlier — to return for the vote.
Flores and Parlier voted for the proposal, but Peters voted against it, leaving the measure one vote short of approval.
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County leaders have not yet announced what comes next for the Family Justice Center following the board’s decision.