HANFORD, Calif. , A proposal by Hanford City Councilmember Travis Paden to explore changes to the city’s social media policy has drawn criticism from former Hanford Mayor Francisco Ramirez, who believes the proposal is aimed directly at him and intended to discourage him from seeking public office again.

During a recent City Council discussion, Paden asked the council to consider updating Hanford’s social media policy and council handbook to address what he described as the ethics of elected officials monetizing content related to city government on personal or political social media platforms.

Paden said he believes council members should not financially benefit from content involving city news, policy, or council business, even if no law currently prohibits it.

Ramirez said he agrees that elected officials should not personally profit from an official government page.

“I do not believe an elected official should personally profit from an official City Council page,” Ramirez said. “If I ever made money from an official government page representing me as a public official, I would donate every dollar.”

Ramirez said that if he decided to run for office again and the guidelines prohibited monetization on his political or City Council-related pages, he would turn off the revenue features on those accounts.

“If I decided to run and those were the guidelines, I would turn off the monetization features, if possible, on my City Council Facebook page, Instagram page, and other political social media platforms,” Ramirez said. “I have no issue doing that.”

Ramirez clarified that he would not use Kings Network to report on Hanford political matters if he were elected to the City Council.

“Logically, I would not report on Hanford City Council issues through Kings Network if I were serving on the council,” Ramirez said. “That could create questions about whether the platform had become a public forum. I would keep Kings Network separate.”

Instead, Ramirez said he would continue speaking about city issues through his political Facebook, Instagram, and other political social media platforms.

“I would still speak about issues involving the City of Hanford,” Ramirez said. “I would do that through my political pages, just like any elected official should be able to communicate with the public.”

Ramirez said his concern is that Paden appears to be pursuing a policy that could limit how he speaks about city matters through those political platforms.

“I find it interesting that Travis is pursuing this avenue when it could potentially limit my ability to speak about issues involving the City of Hanford,” Ramirez said. “I believe I was singled out, and I believe this proposal is directed at me.”

Ramirez said he does not believe the proposal is based on a problem Paden personally experienced while serving on the City Council. Instead, Ramirez believes it is intended to discourage him from becoming a candidate again.

“I honestly believe he is doing this to discourage me from running,” Ramirez said. “I believe he thinks that forcing me to stop earning money through social media would financially hurt me and make me reconsider running for office.”

Ramirez said that assumption would be incorrect because Kings Network generates very little income.

“I barely make any money from Kings Network News,” Ramirez said. “I do it because I care about the community. This has never been about getting rich or making money.”

For transparency, Ramirez noted that Hanford City Council members receive, on average, approximately $500 per month or less for serving in office.

Ramirez said he believes Paden is attempting to create a narrative that his community involvement, political commentary, and possible interest in seeking office are financially motivated.

“I believe he is trying to create the narrative that I am in this for the money,” Ramirez said. “Anyone who knows me or has followed the work I have done for this community knows that is not true.”

Ramirez also responded to several statements Paden made in a July 12, 2026, Facebook post concerning Kings Network’s earlier coverage of Hanford’s 50-year time capsule.

In that post, Paden criticized Ramirez’s reporting, accused Kings Network of publishing incomplete information, and questioned whether its primary motivation was generating clicks and revenue. Paden also used the term “fake news” while criticizing the reporting process.

Ramirez said he disagrees with several of Paden’s statements but does not intend to continue publicly debating every detail involving photographer Gary Feinstein.

“I can prove that some of Travis’ statements are not true,” Ramirez said. “Gary knows the truth, and I know what happened. However, I am not going to put Gary in that light because that is not who I am.”

Ramirez said he has information he could release if it became necessary but does not currently believe there is value in escalating the disagreement.

“If need be, I will provide the evidence,” Ramirez said. “But as of right now, I am not going to do that. There is no point in placing Gary in the middle of this.”

Ramirez also found Paden’s use of the phrase “fake news” noteworthy.

“I find it funny that Travis used the term ‘fake news,’” Ramirez said. “I encourage everyone to read what he posted, watch the full video, look at the information, and judge for themselves.”

Ramirez said his approach is to provide the public with the available information and allow readers to reach their own conclusions.

“I am not here to tell people what to believe,” Ramirez said. “All I can say is judge for yourself.”

Ramirez pointed to his years of public service and community involvement, saying he has consistently attempted to provide documentation and evidence when discussing local government.

“I have always believed in transparency,” Ramirez said. “Whether people agree with me or disagree with me, I try to provide the documentation and evidence and allow people to make up their own minds.”

Ramirez said he is not a resident of Council District A and therefore would not be a direct challenger for Paden’s seat. However, he believes Paden may view him as a potential obstacle if Ramirez were elected to another seat on the City Council.

“I am not in Travis’ district, so I would not be running directly against him,” Ramirez said. “But I believe he sees me as someone who could challenge his decisions and oppose the direction he wants to take the city if we were serving on the council together.”

Ramirez pointed to several city decisions he has criticized, including increases to water and refuse rates, proposals involving local taxes, and policies he believes place additional financial burdens on residents and businesses.

“I believe Travis knows I would question water rate increases, refuse rate increases, new taxes, and other decisions that directly affect the people of Hanford,” Ramirez said. “I would ask for the documentation, review the numbers, and make sure the public understood exactly what was happening.”

Ramirez also questioned whether the City Council had demonstrated the transparency Paden has publicly advocated.

“They were not transparent when water rates were increased,” Ramirez said. “They were not transparent when refuse rates were increased. There was also the transient occupancy tax proposal, which failed because residents did not support it.”

Ramirez also pointed to Measure H, discussions involving a possible parks tax, and a policy that could fine businesses over graffiti they did not create.

“People should ask whether Measure H money has gone where it truly needs to go,” Ramirez said. “The city also discussed another tax for parks, whether through a parcel tax or a sales tax, and that effort failed. Then businesses faced the possibility of being fined for graffiti they did not even put on their property.”

Ramirez clarified his position on sales taxes.

“I do not support any sales tax, and I never have,” Ramirez said. “In fact, I have previously opposed sales tax proposals because I do not believe the first answer should always be placing another financial burden on residents.”

Ramirez said he believes the city should focus more heavily on generating revenue through economic development rather than relying on additional taxes and rate increases.

“There are other ways to generate revenue,” Ramirez said. “We should be inviting businesses into Hanford, creating an environment where businesses can develop and grow, and helping them become part of our downtown and surrounding commercial areas.”

According to Ramirez, attracting new businesses and supporting existing ones would create employment, increase economic activity, expand the city’s tax base, and generate long-term revenue without immediately turning to residents for more money.

“That is how you create positive economic synergy,” Ramirez said. “You create opportunities for businesses to succeed, bring people into the community, support the downtown, and generate revenue through growth. We should not continue placing the burden on citizens when there are better opportunities available.”

Ramirez said voters should evaluate whether the decisions made during Paden’s term have improved their daily lives.

“If you believe you are better off today than you were four years ago, then vote for Travis,” Ramirez said. “But if you believe Hanford needs a different direction, greater transparency, and new ideas, then I encourage qualified residents to consider running for office.”

Residents interested in determining whether they live in Paden’s District A can review the City of Hanford’s Council Districts Map. District A is displayed in red on the map.

City of Hanford Council Districts Map:
https://www.cityofhanfordca.com/1574/Council-Districts-Map

Residents interested in becoming candidates can obtain information and candidate paperwork from:

Kings County Elections Office
1400 W. Lacey Blvd.
Hanford, CA 93230
Phone: (559) 852-4401

Paden has framed the proposed policy discussion as an ethics issue centered on transparency and public trust. Ramirez disagrees with how the issue is being presented and believes it raises broader questions about political speech, government overreach, and the ability of elected officials to communicate with the public.

At this time, no policy change has been adopted. Any amendments to the city’s social media policy or council handbook would require further discussion and formal action by the Hanford City Council.

Editor’s Note: This article is a response to statements Councilmember Travis Paden published on his City Council Facebook page on July 12, 2026. Readers can visit Paden’s page below to review the original post that prompted this response. The full video of Paden’s discussion during the Hanford City Council meeting is also available below so readers can examine the complete context and judge for themselves.

Sources:

• Travis Paden, Facebook post, July 12, 2026. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02JgxQB6UKTmVgEGh5hrf3hjsyUioFnJvZLtdVnZrCA5pf6HKA8QseQ8iX7BPnoKMdl&id=61573307465187