New La Jolla Town Council trustees sworn in as unrest continues

Last Updated on July 21, 2025

President Mary Soriano then had the trustees read a “public statement,” sparking a heated discussion among several in attendance July 10.

“We are now able to move forward with confidence,” La Jolla Town Council President Mary Soriano said at the group’s July 10 meeting, after swearing in five new trustees under what some have called dubious circumstances and amending the bylaws to allow for a lower quorum.

Soriano also asked the trustees to read a “public statement,” asking three specific individuals to cease opposition.

The statement follows months of turmoil, after Soriano removed then-Town Council Vice President Peter Wulff in April without a board vote for allegations of insubordination and failing to join a committee, among others.

Wulff’s removal led to a few trustee resignations of those who objected to Soriano’s leadership and actions without trustee votes.

Wulff has since disputed Soriano’s claims and sent a letter to community leaders and the media calling for Soriano’s resignation based on her “unilateral actions, silenced voices and an atmosphere of fear and exclusion.”

Members of the public express concern at the July 10 La Jolla Town Council meeting.

Wulff is among those named in the July 10 public statement: “We respectfully request that you discontinue all communications to current LJTC Trustees and cease making public statements that may be detrimental to the organization.”

The resignations led to the Town Council having fewer trustees than required by its bylaws, which led Soriano to invoke a California legislative code for nonprofit mutual benefit corporations allowing the board to add more trustees without a quorum via unanimous written consent.

In June, Soriano removed trustee Cody Petterson after he withheld consent to add more trustees.

The new trustees, Karan Gurung, Kevin Healy, Arthur Mayo, Jeffrey Scott, Don Searcey and Simeon Rosas, were sworn in, bringing the total number of trustees to nine, with Soriano, Rick Dagon, Jana Farella and David Talcott.

Jeff Scott was introduced in June as a new trustee, but has since dropped out.

The trustees were then quickly asked to vote – and unanimously passed – on a motion to amend the bylaws to reduce the required trustees from 13 to seven, though no mechanism was explained for how the board is able to act on such a motion without the required quorum.

“The decisions that have been made here are wild,” Petterson said. “I’ve been on dozens of boards. I chaired hundreds of meetings. I’ve never seen anything like this. … I’m shocked.”

“I am kind of shocked by the statement that called pillars of our community out by name tonight. I think that is really inexcusable,” said La Jollan Catharine Douglass.

Soriano has lied to obtain what she wants, Petterson said. “This is not an honest process. It’s not a transparent process.”

“I resigned for one reason,” former trustee Stacey Thomas said. “Because a vice president was fired, dismissed in a public setting,” without the rest of the board being informed or able to weigh in.

“I also resigned … the night that Peter was dismissed because due process was not followed,” former trustee Charmaine Haworth said.

“We were brought on because the council was going to dissolve, and we had no idea of any of this,” new trustee Healy said. “I didn’t even know we were going to be reading a statement.”

“What’s best for this community is that the town council stays active,” trustee Dagon said. “We just need to … do what’s best for La Jolla, which is [to] work together and put this in the past.”