When Clayton’s newspaper closed shop last summer, the small, 4-square-mile East Bay city turned into a news desert overnight. What remains is the Diablo Gazette, a monthly publication, and a local news site called Clayton Watch — run by a recently formed political action committee.

Clayton Watch has inserted itself into the politics of the town of 11,000 through its website, which refers to itself as “Clayton’s Most Trusted News Source,” and as a PAC, by supporting and opposing candidates running for public office. Gary Hood, one of the group’s co-founders, told SFGATE it is fighting to preserve the town’s identity as a quaint and affordable community compared with its more progressive, populous neighbors. 

Critics of the group, meanwhile, say it is walking a fine line between journalism and something more incendiary. 

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Last July, Clayton Watch wrote about the Clayton Pioneer’s closure, with a parting shot at the publication: “As Clayton moves forward, we hope the next chapter of local news will be rooted in honesty, fairness, and responsibility.”

Whether Clayton Watch has filled the void with those qualities is up for debate.

“They claim to be a PAC,” said Tamara Steiner, the former owner of the Pioneer, “but they’re nothing more than playground bullies with word processors.”

An old town with new ideas

Three decades ago, Hood and Bill Walcutt, a former mayor of Clayton and real estate broker, became friends. They agreed they couldn’t “let the city run rampant with budget and over-building,” Hood told SFGATE. Hood said that he was concerned over whether the Clayton Business and Community Association, a local nonprofit that organizes events, was “controlling the direction” of the city council. Clayton Watch proceeded to get involved, putting out flyers and ads against candidates they felt were a part of what he called the “boys’ club.” After hitting the $1,000 spending threshold, they were required by the California Fair Political Practices Commission to become a PAC. 

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Hood, a longtime Clayton resident, told SFGATE that the group’s agenda is simple: to keep Clayton the way it is. The group has about a dozen volunteers who help out, he said.

“We want Clayton to remain Clayton. We don’t want to become San Francisco. We don’t want to become Oakland,” he said. “It’s a quiet town, small community. Don’t bring that progressive agenda here. If I wanted to move to San Francisco, I would.”

When asked examples of that agenda, he mentioned increased taxes and a failure to address homelessness.

“I’m not anti-tax, but prove to me what you’re spending taxes on,” he said, mentioning concerns of widespread fraud in the state. “The homeless thing has gone on way too long. Everybody’s getting taxed to death. We’ve had enough of that.”

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In another thought, before he mentioned keeping Clayton the way it is, he said: “Some people are trying to bring gay, lesbian things and bring in parades. They want every house to have a Pride flag in their yard.” 

FILE: The town of Clayton, as seen from from Mount Diablo, Calif.

Unlike its more populous neighbors in Concord, Antioch and Walnut Creek, Clayton has maintained its small-town identity since incorporating in 1964. The residents of Clayton live there, in part, for the idyllic scenery. The city abuts Mount Diablo, where there are miles of trails for cycling and hiking. Until recently, the city was also home to one of the state’s oldest saloons. There is even a local trail tax to help keep up the land. Elected officials told SFGATE that the city skews older and is full of families and retirees, and that people live comfortably, with a median income of $175,000, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau statistics. The city also leans blue, as about 42% are registered Democrats and another 30% are Republicans.

As Clayton faces outside pressures, like abiding by the state housing mandate — it was given a final........

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