Follows weeks of sometimes aggressive debate
After weeks of contentious discussion, the San Jacinto City Council majority appointed one of their members as the new 2025 mayor of the city at its Jan. 7 meeting.
Voting in a new method to appoint the yearly city mayor, the council in a 4 to 1 vote moved to appoint council member Valerie Vandever as its new mayor for the 2025 calendar year with council member Alonso Ledezma as the city’s Mayor Pro-Tem.
The mayoral appointment followed an announcement by Mayor Phil Ayala who told residents attending the meeting that new security measures at the council meetings have been put in place. He read, “For the safety of everyone who attends or participates in our city council meetings, it is of the utmost importance” seeing that the council meetings are “a cornerstone of our democracy” for meaningful debate. He pointed out that at the last city council meeting during some strong debate and accusations between several council members, an incident took place where a member of the audience rose, rushing to the dais in a hostile manner to confront a council member, but was stopped by sheriff’s deputies. No arrests were made.
Ayala said of this, “Unfortunately, for those who might have witnessed the last council meeting, there have been growing concerns about public safety, especially during our council meetings.
“Reports of hostile behavior and visually and physically witnessing it have actually been brought up by our constituents that [feel it is] unsafe for our council members and the public. This is not only deeply troubling and unacceptable in a democratic society, it is vital to remember that city council meetings are a form of constructive discussion, not conflict or aggression.”
He added, “The risk of violence, harassment or intimidation have no place in these chambers or communities whatsoever.”
In addressing these concerns, Ayala said specific action was taking place. “To address these concerns, and to protect everyone present here tonight we are taking specific action. That means we’re are doing enhanced security measures – which you might have noticed those – where behaviorable expectations, not only those for our council members but for the constituents who are watching us tonight, but in continued reinforcement of ongoing training policies for our council members, and also bringing public information to the public as well. But also bringing public awareness to make sure we are all safe.”
He concluded, “Let me be clear, prioritizing safety does not mean that every community member does not have a right to express their concerns, but this must be done in a manner that respects the safety of others. We are committed to fostering a secure environment where all voices can be heard without fear of arrest.”
He admitted that what happened at the last council meeting, “should never have happened, and should never happen again.”
The evening continued with no further unwarranted behavior by both the five council members and the audience. Several motions were made approving or keeping the way a mayor is appointed in the city each year with the final vote giving Vandever the Mayor’s seat and Ledezma as mayor pro tem. New council member Clarisa Sanchez gave her approval in the voting to those appointments.
The mayoral appointment and announcement followed weeks of sometimes controversial intercouncil arguments and near physical abuse by a council meeting participant over how and who should be appointed the city’s newest mayor.
The discussion to possibly change the city’s current method of appointing the latest mayor began on October 15, 2024, with four out of five council members participating. Council member Ledezma was absent on an emergency leave that night.
While the city’s mayoral position holds only one vote on issues like all the other council members, he or she leads the night’s meeting agenda, otherwise, the mayoral position has no other benefit. Both Ledezma and council member Crystal Ruiz have been on the council the longest with both holding the mayoral position more than once, and were no longer in line for the 2025 mayoral position at that time.
In earlier action, the council heard of a recommended drainage improvement project on Warren Road between Cottonwood and the Ramona Expressway where flooding due to heavy rainstorms had taken place in the past. The location of the recommended repair was shown and why the problem existed which could become worse in the future if it wasn’t repaired.
The council was satisfied the repair should be made and approved a contract with the lowest bidding construction firm, Wright Construction Engineering for a sum of $331,750 with $43,127.50 for administration, inspection, and testing along with a 15% ($49,762) construction contingency in the event of emergencies or unexpected costs.
Tony Ault can be reached at tault@reedermedia.com.
