CALEXICO — A fractured City Council here voted to remove Luis Castro from the position of mayor Tuesday night, and who will take his place remains undecided for now.
In what Councilwoman Maritza Hurtado described as a “last resort,” she requested the issue of Castro’s removal be placed on the agenda due to what she views as a loss of control of meetings during the past several months.
“Effective decision making and proper strategic process can only occur in any board when order becomes and remains the foundational principal,” she said. “For the last six months, we have had little if any proper meeting decorum with the present leadership.”
She said she approached Castro several times about the issue.
Mayor Pro Tem Daniel Romero and Councilman John Moreno voted in support of the removal while Castro and Councilman Bill Hodge voted against.
“Mayor Castro is not the obstacle to solving our pressing issues,” Hodge said. “It’s us not working together and not putting our egos or personalities aside.”
A lot of the arguments for the removal were sprinkled with references to controversial Calexico resident Oscar Gonzalez, who was arrested shortly before the beginning of the meeting for violating a restraining order between him and the city.
The restraining order was the result of another arrest the same day as the City Council’s last meeting in December.
Members of the council cited Gonzalez as a major player in the cited loss of control of the meetings. Examples of problems include speaking out of turn, profanity and personal insults.
Moreno said Gonzalez has “made a mockery of the judicial process of the governance of the city of Calexico. … His behavior was encouraged, I believe, and it got to the point where he is now no longer welcome at these meetings for a period of time.”
Moreno was implying that Castro was doing the encouraging.
Castro said that while Gonzalez is his friend, he doesn’t control him.
Castro added that if his fellow council members feel a leadership change is needed, then they should resign from office as well.
“Unfortunately, some of our members choose to blame me for their shortcomings, lack of leadership and ill character, not to mention their opposition to transparency and accountability of city affairs,” Castro said.
The City Council listened with resigned faces as at least half a dozen members of the public went to the podium to speak either for or against the decision.
Calexico resident Sylvia Bernal said removing Castro from the mayor position wouldn’t “get rid of the problem” and encouraged the council to “come together.”
Calexico resident Mike Davies said he hasn’t been attending some past meetings because he was “embarrassed” to be in the “unprofessional and hostile environment.”
“We again are the laughingstock of the Valley, not because of your lack of skills with the English language but for what you have allowed and encouraged to happen here,” Davies said.
The council also voted 3-2 to decide at its next council meeting on who should be put in the position of mayor.
“If this council does not feel that they have an effective leader, like in anything, they will not be able to work effectively, properly, with respect, with a sense of we are going in a right direction,” former Mayor Louis Fuentes said.
All regular City Council meetings are recorded and available for viewing on the city of Calexico’s Web site.
Staff Writer Chelcey Adami can be reached at 760-337-3452 or cadami@ivpressonline.com
In what Councilwoman Maritza Hurtado described as a “last resort,” she requested the issue of Castro’s removal be placed on the agenda due to what she views as a loss of control of meetings during the past several months.
“Effective decision making and proper strategic process can only occur in any board when order becomes and remains the foundational principal,” she said. “For the last six months, we have had little if any proper meeting decorum with the present leadership.”
She said she approached Castro several times about the issue.
Mayor Pro Tem Daniel Romero and Councilman John Moreno voted in support of the removal while Castro and Councilman Bill Hodge voted against.
“Mayor Castro is not the obstacle to solving our pressing issues,” Hodge said. “It’s us not working together and not putting our egos or personalities aside.”
A lot of the arguments for the removal were sprinkled with references to controversial Calexico resident Oscar Gonzalez, who was arrested shortly before the beginning of the meeting for violating a restraining order between him and the city.
The restraining order was the result of another arrest the same day as the City Council’s last meeting in December.
Members of the council cited Gonzalez as a major player in the cited loss of control of the meetings. Examples of problems include speaking out of turn, profanity and personal insults.
Moreno said Gonzalez has “made a mockery of the judicial process of the governance of the city of Calexico. … His behavior was encouraged, I believe, and it got to the point where he is now no longer welcome at these meetings for a period of time.”
Moreno was implying that Castro was doing the encouraging.
Castro said that while Gonzalez is his friend, he doesn’t control him.
Castro added that if his fellow council members feel a leadership change is needed, then they should resign from office as well.
“Unfortunately, some of our members choose to blame me for their shortcomings, lack of leadership and ill character, not to mention their opposition to transparency and accountability of city affairs,” Castro said.
The City Council listened with resigned faces as at least half a dozen members of the public went to the podium to speak either for or against the decision.
Calexico resident Sylvia Bernal said removing Castro from the mayor position wouldn’t “get rid of the problem” and encouraged the council to “come together.”
Calexico resident Mike Davies said he hasn’t been attending some past meetings because he was “embarrassed” to be in the “unprofessional and hostile environment.”
“We again are the laughingstock of the Valley, not because of your lack of skills with the English language but for what you have allowed and encouraged to happen here,” Davies said.
The council also voted 3-2 to decide at its next council meeting on who should be put in the position of mayor.
“If this council does not feel that they have an effective leader, like in anything, they will not be able to work effectively, properly, with respect, with a sense of we are going in a right direction,” former Mayor Louis Fuentes said.
All regular City Council meetings are recorded and available for viewing on the city of Calexico’s Web site.
Staff Writer Chelcey Adami can be reached at 760-337-3452 or cadami@ivpressonline.com
