Banning Mayor Loses Bid for Reelection

The residents of Banning have elected three new city council members, while incumbent mayor Don Robinson finished fourth with just over 17 percent of the vote.

Robinson expressed disappointment Wednesday at his failed bid to serve a second term on the Banning City Council.

"I was totally shocked by the results," said Robinson, whose term began in 2008. "I'm very disappointed that people would believe what these three guys put out there that I was involved in forcing the city to lose money when in fact I wasn't on the council yet when these things were signed. All those things they said I did happened on the council in 2006 and 2007."

Robinson hasn't yet decided if he would attempt a future run at a city council seat.

"I'm very disappointed in a lot of the people in Banning, but I do appreciate those who supported me. But they should have figured this out. Those thousand of hours I've put into this city I guess is not what people wanted."

Don Peterson, who earned 21.5 percent of the vote, was not immediately available for comment. 

Legislative aid Art Welch, who currently has just two fewer votes than Peterson according to the registrar of voters, said that the past few months of campaigning has helped him gain an understanding of the wants and needs of Banning residents.

"It's always good to interact with the residents in the city of banning and an election gives you an opportunity to sit down and talk about their concerns or wishes and needs and it gives you something to keep thinking about, so it works to the benefit of the community," Welch said on Wednesday.  "My plan is to join the city council and to see if we can't continue to help banning grow, especial in job opportunities for our residents, to getting business established and managing money we have in the coffers for services for the residents."

Edward Miller took time out from pulling campaign signs to layout his main goals to Patch.

"My main objective, try to lower the debt of the city, the city has an enormous debt. The only way that can efficiently be lowered is to increase the number of business and improving the income of the businesses that we have. The city needs to improve it's business friendliness."

Miller, who expressed shock over his victory, also wants to make the local Mt. San Jacinto College extension as large as possible without imposing a bond measure on the residents.

Welch, Peterson and Miller will join Bob Botts and Debbie Franklin on the council. Councilmembers Barbara Hanna and John Machisic did not seek reelection.

Click here for real-time Banning election results.