From Mayoral Seals to 'Emeritus' Status - Elk Grove's Past, Current Mayor Cut From the Same Cloth

April 11, 2017 |  

Funny what happens when a politician leaves office, for whatever the reason might be, before their time. In the case of former Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis, who seemingly does not want to disappear from the limelight, you wrangle connections and award yourself a new title.

Since leaving office last December so he could spend more time with his family, Davis seems to want his hand involved in Elk Grove City Hall affairs. One of the most visible examples has been his curious involvement with the Wilton Rancheria.

While none of the Elk Grove City Council had the desire, or maybe the courage, to show up for the tribes ceremony on February 14 celebrating their purchase of property from the Howard Hughes Company, Davis was there front and center with Wilton Rancheria Chairman Raymond "Chuckie" Hitchcock, and California State Assemblymember Jim Cooper among others.

Private citizen Davis spoke glowingly of the positive economic effects the casino will have for the City of Elk Grove. It makes you wonder if it was his family or some other compelling economic reason that prompted Davis against reelection last year.

Of course, his desire to stay in the limelight and not pursue that quality time with his family compelled Davis to start up yet another one of his foundations. This time it would be different though.

With the financial heft of the Wilton Rancheria, Davis started the Elk Grove Community Council whose purpose, among other things, is to act as a sort of intermediary for local charities. Put another way, it wants to be a middleman or broker for charities to receive funding.

Another activity the EGCC is starting, with the help of a $5,000 taxpayers expenditure approved by Elk Grove City Manager Laura Gill [what, no oversight from the City Council? I'm shocked, shocked!], is the establishment of the Elk Grove Hall of Fame. The idea for the hall, which appears to have been appropriated [stealing is such a vulgar word] from a former, of which there is a quickly growing list, supporter.

The pièce de résistance came this weekend when Davis sent an email blast promoting this June's inaugural Elk Grove Hall of Fame induction ceremony. It wasn't the email per se that drew snarky comments; it was how Davis signed the email that has quickly made Davis a punchline - he signed it Gary Davis, Mayor Emeritus! 

How funny! Doesn't Davis know this title is bestowed, not given to oneself? Or perhaps he is so insecure that people will forget him that he somehow needs to prop up his stature. 

In either case, it ranges from comical to sad, and neither looks will prop up Davis' already unseemly, self-serving reputation he has earned in the community.  

And just for the record, according to this source, "Emeritus implies a continuing relationship with an organization." So maybe Davis is pulling Ly's strings, eh? 

Should we have expected anything different from Davis? After all, his protege and hand-picked successor for Mayor, Steve Ly, took it upon himself to not only design a seal for the office of the mayor, he did one when he was Vice Mayor!

In addition to designing his own seals of office, Ly commissioned portraits of himself and posed in front of a painting our nation's 35th president as if he were the second coming of JFK. The Mayor is quickly gaining a reputation for being uninterested in governing and in anything other than his advancement.

Between Davis' dopey moves and Ly's obtuse sense of self-importance, the Elk Grove mayoral position is quickly and unfortunately becoming the laughingstock of the Sacramento region. That does not come without costs either. 

But really, should we be surprised - these are two men cut from the same cloth and that cloth is as fake and gaudy as double-knit polyester on a leisure suit.