Mayor Ben Cantu is off the Manteca City Council’s two-member ad hoc committee formed to find a way to move forward with changes in the downtown district.

The council on Tuesday removed Cantu and appointed Councilman Gary Singh in his place just two weeks after several downtown merchants — including two that have weathered ups and downs and are still in business after 50 years — asked that he be taken off the committee.

Their argument was that Cantu was in essence hindering efforts to move downtown forward. For his part, Cantu blamed two merchants without naming them for effectively killing every initative he’s been involved with over the past 40 years that the city has undertaken to improve downtown. At one point he essentially did name them when he said that he’d have no problems stepping down if Brenda Franklin of Tipton’s Stationary and India Janis of Janis Music also stepped away from the city’s process. They happen to be the operators of the two businesses that have weathered downtown changes for 50 years plus.

Cantu, while noting other council members were capable of serving on the ad hoc committee, contended that only he had the expertise, background, and knowledge necessary to make sure that a workable plan is devised along with implementation and funding strategies.

The mayor indicated if he has come across as too intense it was due to his frustration that every previous five plans the city had come up with during the past 40 plus years essentially were put on a shelf and forgotten.

“It’s two people who have torpedoed it every time,” Cantu said in apparent reference to Janis and Franklin.

The dust up goes back to a Jan. 8 kickoff meeting of the ad hoc committee that Cantu conducted with Councilwoman Debby Moorhead who will continue to serve on it.

Merchants that were in attendance at the kickoff committee meeting on Jan. 8 told the council in person and by letter at the Jan. 21 council meeting that the mayor:

*Didn’t want to listen to their views, was condescending at times and cut off speakers.

*Was “laughing in their faces” when they made a suggestion.

*Wasn’t interested in hearing a survey they had done of downtown merchants regarding homeless and safety issues.

*Essentially has a pre-ordained plan for downtown.

Cantu on Tuesday again stressed that the purpose of the meeting Jan. 8 was to provide an overview of what he believes is needed. The mayor emphasized that he wasn’t trying to be augmentative and when attendees said they were being cut off that they had repeatedly brought up the same issue.

Cantu said why he favors the two council member committee approach instead of a large committee with downtown/community appointments that he “didn’t want to go down the same path as we’ve done” in reference to plans that were devised and then basically dropped.

Cantu arguably has been the most passionate elected leader during the past 30 plus years when it comes to pumping new life in downtown.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com