HANFORD, California. In 2020, the City of Hanford made a deliberate policy decision to improve transparency, consistency, and public trust in how information was communicated to residents. That decision resulted in the creation of a full time, taxpayer funded Community Relations Manager position, tasked with managing official city messaging and social media platforms in a neutral, institutional manner.

The role was designed to remove individual elected officials from direct control or influence over official city communications and to ensure that information shared with the public reflected the city as an institution, not the perspective of any one council member.

Five years later, renewed questions are being raised by residents about whether that transparency driven purpose is still being upheld.

At the center of the discussion is a weekly council recap video featuring a sitting city council member that was posted on December 10 to the official City of Hanford Facebook page, despite the city employing a paid communications professional whose responsibilities include managing that platform.

While no allegation of illegality has been made, the situation raises broader governance concerns involving transparency, fairness, political advantage, and the appropriate use of public funds.

Why the Position Was Created

In September 2020, the Hanford Sentinel reported that the City of Hanford hired Brian Johnson as its new Community Relations Manager. City Manager Mario Cifuentez explained at the time that the city had identified a need earlier that year for a dedicated position to manage the city’s social media platforms and to develop a comprehensive plan for community outreach and messaging.

According to Cifuentez, city leadership recognized that official messaging had become fragmented and that residents were increasingly calling for clearer, more consistent communication from City Hall. The proposed solution was to centralize communications under a professional staff position rather than allowing messaging to be shaped informally by individual elected officials.

Although the need was identified in early 2020, Cifuentez stated that it was not until the City Council’s annual goal setting retreat on March 29 that council formally directed staff to move forward with the hire. Following that direction, the city approved the position as part of its mid cycle budget process, created a job description, and conducted an open recruitment.

More than a dozen applications were received, and Johnson was selected as the top candidate.

Johnson brought experience in both journalism and public relations. Prior to joining the City of Hanford, he served as communications director for Adventist Health and previously worked as a reporter for ABC30. In comments published at the time, Johnson said his background as a reporter prepared him to work under pressure and communicate information clearly to the public.

At the time of hire, the salary range for the position was reported to be between $80,628 and $98,460 annually. According to Transparency California, Johnson’s reported compensation in 2023, including pay and total benefits, totaled $124,259.57.

Transparency Was the Central Purpose

The creation of the Community Relations Manager position was rooted in transparency.

For full disclosure, I am Francisco Ramirez. I served on the Hanford City Council and as mayor when this position was created, and I was the individual who originally proposed the idea for a dedicated communications role, which ultimately became the position held by Brian Johnson.

The idea was not centered on any specific person. It was about creating structure, accountability, and trust.

At the time, city communications were inconsistent, and there was growing concern that official narratives could be shaped, or at least perceived as being shaped, by individual council members rather than the city as a whole. That perception was damaging to public trust.

The purpose of the position was to ensure that official city platforms, including the City of Hanford Facebook page, communicated information in a neutral, institutional voice. Council members, including myself, were intentionally removed from managing or influencing official messaging.

Council members were encouraged to share opinions, interpretations, and commentary through their own personal or council related pages. The official city page was meant to focus on facts, city services, public notices, and council actions as a whole.

This separation was considered essential to transparency, fairness among elected officials, and responsible use of public funds.

What Official City Platforms Represent

Official city platforms are taxpayer funded communication tools. They are promoted using public resources and carry institutional credibility.

Residents reasonably assume that content posted on the City of Hanford Facebook page represents the city itself, not an individual perspective. That is why control and oversight of those platforms matter.

The Community Relations Manager role was created to provide that oversight and to serve as a safeguard against role confusion, political influence, and narrative shaping by individual elected officials.

The December 10 Posting Raises New Questions

Those original transparency principles have come under renewed scrutiny following the posting of a weekly recap video titled “Wednesday Wrap Up” on the official City of Hanford Facebook page on December 10.

The video features Councilman Travis Paden recapping what occurred at the December 2, 2025 Hanford City Council meeting. In the video, Paden thanks friends, family, city staff, and the community for their support during his tenure as mayor and also promotes the date of the next scheduled council meeting.

The video was uploaded and published as official city content, using a platform that is managed and funded by the City of Hanford for institutional communication purposes.

Paden is a former mayor and a sitting city council member. He also maintains his own council related Facebook page, where he regularly communicates with residents and where similar recap content could have been shared without raising governance concerns.

The concern raised by residents is not that the video exists, nor that council members provide recaps of meetings. That practice is common and appropriate when done through personal or council pages.

The concern lies in the decision to post and promote the video on December 10 through the city’s official Facebook page, despite the city employing a paid Community Relations Manager whose role was created specifically to manage official messaging in a neutral and non political manner.

Posting the recap on the official city page places the content within the city’s institutional voice and gives it the weight and credibility of official city communication, even though the information is presented through the perspective of a single elected official.

Fairness, Role Overlap, and Public Funds

The City of Hanford pays for a full time communications professional to manage official platforms and serve as the public face of the city. The city also allocates funds to promote its website and social media channels.

When an elected official appears on those same platforms delivering a recap framed through their own perspective, questions arise about role overlap and duplication of responsibilities.

If the purpose of the Community Relations Manager position is to ensure neutrality and consistency, residents reasonably ask why an elected official is appearing on the official platform in that capacity.

This also raises fairness concerns. Other council members do not necessarily receive the same access or visibility on official city platforms. Even absent intent, the appearance of preferential treatment can undermine trust.

Political Advantage and Perception

Official city platforms carry authority. Content posted on them is perceived differently than content shared on personal pages.

When a council member appears on an official platform delivering commentary, it can create an unintended political advantage. Ethics concerns in local government often arise from appearance and structure rather than intent.

The transparency driven communications role was designed to prevent precisely this type of ambiguity by keeping official messaging separate from individual political voices.

Governance and Accountability

This issue is not about personalities. It is about governance.

Clear boundaries between elected officials and staff are fundamental to effective local government. When those boundaries blur, accountability becomes unclear and public trust erodes.

Residents deserve clarity on who controls official city messaging, how decisions about content are made, and whether the policies adopted to improve transparency are still being followed.

A Call for Clarity

This article does not allege wrongdoing. It raises questions grounded in the city’s own stated goals when the Community Relations Manager position was created.

If the city’s approach to communications has changed, that change should be explained publicly. If the original intent remains in place, then boundaries should be reaffirmed and applied consistently.

Transparency is not achieved simply by creating a position. It is maintained through ongoing adherence to the principles that justified the position in the first place.

Final Thought

In 2020, the City of Hanford took an important step toward improving transparency by professionalizing its communications and separating official messaging from individual political voices.

Honoring that purpose today is just as important as it was then.

When official city platforms speak, they should speak for the city as a whole.

Update and Clarification

Following publication of this story, I spoke by phone with Brian Johnson, the City of Hanford’s Community Relations Manager. The conversation lasted approximately ten minutes and was cordial.

During the call, Johnson stated that other city council members are expected to participate in similar videos in the future. He also explained that council members may be given opportunities to conduct community outreach through the City of Hanford’s official Facebook page.

I shared my perspective that official city outreach and messaging should primarily be handled by the Community Relations Manager, as that role was created specifically to engage with the community and manage official communications. I expressed that I believe Johnson is doing a phenomenal job and that I would prefer to see the city’s professional communications staff, rather than elected officials, serve as the primary on camera representatives on official city platforms.

I also reiterated that council members already have their own individual council related Facebook pages where they are free to share updates, opinions, and commentary without raising governance or transparency concerns.