Alameda council member avoids reprimand for drunken incident

As the Alameda City Council considered Wednesday whether to reprimand Councilwoman Trish Herrera Spencer for being drunk during a city-sponsored trip to Long Beach, Spencer was conspicuously absent.

During the League of California Cities conference last month in Long Beach, California, Spencer was found drunk on the sidewalk shortly after midnight on October 18th. Emergency responders took her to a local hospital where she received further treatment before returning to Alameda that day.

Ultimately, the council imposed no real punishment on Spencer, who lost her re-election bid on Nov. 5. However, some council members criticized Spencer for violating the city’s code of conduct.

“If this had been a city employee, we would be asking questions about this employee’s ability to perform his job and whether this was part of his official job,” said Councilwoman Malia Vella. “We have to hold ourselves to the same standards as we hold our employees.”

Spencer’s supporters were vocal during the public comment period, supporting her statement that she was the victim of a crime and suffered a concussion as a result.

“I believe there has been a serious rush to judgment because there is not a shred of evidence like the result of a blood alcohol test,” Alameda resident Margaret Hall said. “I believe with all my heart that Trish was maliciously attacked.”

Some supporters, like Tod Hickman, even went so far as to claim that the council fabricated the incident to remove Spencer from office, calling it a “scheme” and the “most disgusting, ridiculous thing” they had ever seen.

Vella then said city investigations revealed conference attendees observed Spencer drinking excessively on Wednesday, Oct. 17. Those investigations, she said, confirmed the observations of Long Beach law enforcement and medical personnel that Spencer was intoxicated. Additionally, no police report was filed and there was no evidence that a crime was committed, law enforcement said.

Vella further claimed that Spencer’s drunkenness during the conference was part of a pattern. She said that she and other unnamed officials in Alameda have observed incidents in the past in which Spencer drank excessive amounts of alcohol at public events, violating the city’s code of conduct for its elected officials.

“There is also a story of going to events and other conferences where I encountered her drinking,” Vella said. “It’s one thing to go to an event, it’s another to end up outside on the sidewalk.”

However, Council Member Tracy Jensen and Vice Mayor Tom Daysog did not support the decision to reprimand Spencer. Jensen said she doesn’t care whether her council colleague is drunk or whether she’s the victim of a crime – she’s primarily concerned about Spencer’s health. Daysog declined to censure Spencer, citing a lack of evidence.

With the council divided and Spencer absent, Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft issued a final statement urging Spencer to seek substance use and mental health help following the Oct. 18 incident. She defended the council’s consideration of reprimanding Spencer, saying it was necessary to emphasize the city’s code of conduct in the wake of the controversy.

“I knew it would be difficult to bring forward this motion. It was the right thing to do,” Ashcraft said. “I believe that all evidence points to public drunkenness and it is also my first hope that our council member recovers and seeks help.”

Originally published: November 8, 2024 at 3:33 pm PST