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The Antioch City Council has ousted a planning commissioner who came under fire for a Facebook post suggesting that coronavirus deaths could have benefits for society.
Planning Commission Chair Ken Turnage II refused to leave his position after calling for an end to shelterinplace orders in a controversial screed that suggested “we as a species need to move forward with our place on Earth” by reopening society and accepting that the coronavirus will run its course, killing the older and weak. He added that the deaths would “reduce burdens” on Social Security, health care, jobs and housing.
Turnage lobbied to keep his seat during a special council meeting on Zoom on Friday.
“After many years of service to the city, in both the private and public sectors, it is disheartening that you are considering removing me from the Planning Commission due to a personal opinion that I posted on my personal Facebook page,” he said.
He went on to accuse the council of conflating his Facebook comments with his role on the commission to advance a political agenda. And he doubled down on claims that the coronavirus should be allowed to run its course in a reopened society.
Ninetytwo Antioch residents submitted emailed comments, largely saying that Turnage’s political future is not a freespeech issue but a question of leadership and accountability. Many were incensed by the commissioner’s statements, saying he had shaken their confidence in local government.
In Antioch, the City Council appoints planning commissioners and expects them to reflect the city’s image and values.
The public comments represented a small slice of the response to Turnage’s post, news of which went viral and prompted calls from all over the nation, said Mayor Pro Tem Joyann Motts. She began fielding calls for Turnage’s resignation when news of the post began snowballing Thursday.
Councilman Lamar Thorpe made the motion to remove Turnage, saying he was dismayed that the commissioner had not expressed remorse for his comments.
“I’m not even going to get into some of the nonsense arguments that were being spewed, because they have no place here,” Thorpe said. “What we’re talking about here is life and death — whether or not we as a community are committed to that.”
Mayor Sean Wright, who ordered the special meeting and recommended ejecting Turnage, tried to restore some of the public’s trust in an emotional speech.
“When our words as public servants undermine the city’s overall position and cause the citizens to lose confidence in us, especially during a pandemic when people are losing their lives and families are victim to illness, it is something that must be examined,” he said. “As the mayor of the city of Antioch, I want to say to every single citizen that you matter ... your life, your job, and your business are important to us.”
The council approved his recommendation in a 50 vote.