Lompoc City Councilmember Stephen Bridge pleaded not guilty Thursday to eight felony charges filed against him by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.
The District 1 councilman is accused of forgery, grand theft embezzlement, fraudulent use of a contractor's license number, and identity theft. The DA says the charges are connected to the misuse of city funds through a city rebate program.
The Lompoc City Council also rejected a proposal to strip Bridge of his committee assignments last week. Councilmember Jeremy Ball disagreed with that decision. He believes Bridge should step down.
“It is not appropriate to have someone with this cloud of charges representing the city of Lompoc in any sort of matter from my perspective," said Ball.