Unofficial Tally Shows Councilman Is Ousted

Cliff Thompson apparently was stripped of his City Council seat in a recall election and replaced with retired oilman Ray Hatch.

The results remained unofficial Wednesday, however, because 31 provisional ballots were still to be reviewed. Thompson was rejected by a 23-vote margin.

The first-year councilman had been accused of bullying constituents, back-room policymaking and unfairly ousting Taft’s longtime city manager. He also has been a key player in a dispute over $760,000 in fees paid to a Bay Area consultant. Those dealings are under investigation by the Kern County district attorney.