Publisher’s Note: Former City Manager Ron Strand should withdraw from the Ridgecrest City Council race, and Councilman Kyle Blades should resign his seat on the Council.

October 12, 2026

Ridgecrest California

BREAKING: The Daily Independent story is available to the public and is not behind the subscription paywall. You can go directly to the Daily Independent and read the entire story on the DI’s website.

DA finds Blades, Strand violated law on groundwater bill support; declines prosecution – The Daily Independent by Aaron Crutchfield

The Daily Independent is reporting that the Kern County District Attorney has elected not to file charges against former City Manager Ron Strand and Councilman Kyle Blades for egregious violations of the Brown Act, California’s open meeting law.

A Kern County District Attorney investigation found that Ridgecrest City Council member Kyle Blades and former city Manager Ron Strand violated California law with statements that the city of Ridgecrest supported a bill in the legislature in 2025 without a vote having been taken, but District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer said she will not pursue prosecution, instead allowing the consequences to be political ones. – The Daily Independent

We covered this story on May 11, 2025, after Ridgecrest resident Scott O’Neil noticed Councilman Blades giving false statements at a hearing of the California State Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife.

“Either you knowingly violated the Brown Act by discussing a position made by consensus of the Ridgecrest City Council without appropriate public notification and reporting, or you perjured yourself at a hearing by claiming a position that was not legally substantiated.” – Scott O’Neil, Letter to the Editor, Daily Independent

Strand, Blades, and Councilman Scott Hayman traveled to Sacramento in April 2025 to voice support for the bills, although there was no record of a vote to support them as representatives of the city.

The results of the investigation, released Monday to The Daily Independent, made the three following main conclusions:

1. The Ridgecrest City Council did not conduct a lawful vote to support AB 1413 or AB 1466.

2. Councilmember Kyle Blades and former City Manager Ron Strand, in creating, signing, and submitting a letter to a State Assembly Committee, asserting the support of the city of Ridgecrest for passage of AB 1466 without any lawful hearing or vote, deprived the citizens of Ridgecrest of input in the political process, and misrepresented the position of the City of Ridgecrest.

3. The oral advocacy of Councilmember Blades at the April 8, 2025, Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife, and the final remarks of Councilmember Blades and Ron Strand at the May 5, 2025, Kern County Board of Supervisors meeting, which asserted official City of Ridgecrest support of pending legislation, without lawful hearing or vote, deprived the citizens of Ridgecrest from input in the political process, and misrepresented the position of the city of Ridgecrest.

Statewide Controversy Erupted over AB 1413 and AB 1466

The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority sponsored the legislation, and attorneys at the GA likely authored the legislation. This was called a “legal strategy” numerous times by Councilman Blades. Attempts are being made to determine if officials on the GA’s Board of Directors or the “Staff” are under investigation for both Brown Act violations and Conspiracy to Commit Fraud.

District 1 Supervisor Phillip Peters is Kern County’s representative on the Board of the GA. Peters was giving testimony in support of the legislation when State Senator Shannon Grove held up the infamous letter and informed Supervisor Peters that he was on the wrong side of the issue.

The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority is Implicated in a Conspiracy to Commit Fraud

AB 1413 created statewide controversy and opposition to both bills was intense. All the major agricultural trade associations as well as the California Association of Realtors and the California Chamber of Commerce rallied in strong opposition to the legislation. AB 1466 was passed with amendments and signed by Governor Newsom, while AB 1413 was sent to the inactive file at the legislature. It wasn’t resubmitted during the 2026 legislative session and it’s unlikely to see the light of day in the future.

The impact of AB 1413 would have rendered the most important due process right inherent in SGMA, California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, meaningless. Groundwater Sustainability Agencies would have near dictatorial control over groundwater basins and the science used to determine the “Safe Yield” and “Groundwater in Storage” for over 90 groundwater basins in the state.

This is a breaking story, and it will be updated regularly: Will Kyle Blades Resign and Will Ron Strand Drop Out of the Race for City Council?

This story will be updated with comments and statements by the City of Ridgecrest if any. Councilman Kyle Blades was contacted via cell phone by the publisher of Roadrunner395.com with the question “Will you resign Councilman Blades?”. He hasn’t responded at this time.