Montebello City Council will decide on filling vacant seats in January – Whittier Daily News

As the dust settles on election season, Montebello will not only swear in elected council members but also decide how to fill a vacant seat on the dais.

District 5 Councilwoman Angie Jimenez, who has served on the council since 2018, is being removed from her position after an attempt to recall her was successful. It was the only recall election in Los Angeles County this November.

According to the L.A. County Clerk’s Office, the yes vote in Jimenez’s recall received about 63% of the vote, 863 more votes than the no vote in the recall.

In July, the county approved 2,023 valid signatures for the recall petition and the City Council approved placing the recall on the ballot. Recall organizers had 90 days from May 27 to collect 1,388 signatures, or 25% of registered voters in District 5.

Jimenez repeatedly defended her record, claiming the recall was retaliatory and supported by out-of-town donors.

Jimenez’s term runs through December 2026, leaving remaining council members with two options to fill the seat.

In 2018, Jimenez narrowly won a seat on the City Council in an at-large election amid a crowded slate. As the city redistricted, Jimenez retained her spot on the City Council by winning against three other candidates in 2022.

Rick Alonzo was 84 votes behind Jimenez in the 2022 election. He said Wednesday that he didn’t know who might be interested in running for the seat if there were a special election.

During Jimenez’s time on the council, a shift in power occurred when Scarlet Peralta and David Torres were elected to the council. At the end of her term, Jimenez was the lone dissenting vote on issues including a vote against this year’s budget due to a lack of funding for a police station.

According to Deputy City Clerk Kimberly Guillen, the City Council has 60 days to fill the vacant seat once the election is certified – or by February 5, 2025.

They can either call a special election or appoint a replacement. If an election is called, it must take place within 88 to 125 days.

On Thursday, December 5, the city will hold a special meeting to certify the election results. District 2 Councilmember Scarlet Peralta and District 4 Councilmember David Torres both won re-election in the recently certified election.

City Manager Raul Alvarez said once the election is certified, he is committed to bringing back an agenda item requesting City Council direction and said he plans to do so in January.

“The decision to hold a special election or make an appointment can only be made by the City Council during a public meeting,” Alvarez said in an email. “Any decision before that could constitute a violation of the Brown Act.”

This week, council members Peralta, Torres and Georgina Tamayo all declined to answer which option they would support. Council member Salvador Melendez could not be reached for comment.