VICTORVILLE, Calif. (VVNG.com) An item placed on the agenda to review the City’s Censure Policy, or the lack of, sparked chaos at the Tuesday night City Council Meeting, including Councilwoman Blanca Gomez threatening a lawsuit against the City.
“I asked that this item be put on the agenda because when I got elected in 2014 all the way up until 2016, I witnessed this council consistently work in the true spirit of teamwork to address many complex issues on behalf of the City of Victorville,” Council Member Eric Negrete said, “Unfortunately over the past few months this council has been distracted from our solemn duty to serve the residents of Victorville by the conduct of council member Gomez.”
Negrete went on to say “we’re first subjected to the unprofessional, unproductive and petty misconduct Gomez has displayed… constant whining and disrespectful behavior Ms. Gomez exhibits seems to be based on the incorrect assumption that we need to meet with her, shake her hand, and never push back on any of her naive or misguided ideas.”
Gomez fired back and questioned if the Council violated the Brown Act. “I was not aware of this discussion for censure-ship. Was this like a Brown Act violation that occurred?” She then asked the City Attorney if he had been made aware of any formal or informal infraction or violation that she may have violated.
“Am I being reprimanded for sitting in my colleagues chair in a closed session? Wearing the City pin to another city? I’m not aware of any Brown Act Violation. I request to see that grievance procedure if there is one in this case. I haven’t disclosed any secrets; you don’t have a clear ground on what violations were done,” Gomez said.
Gomez has been at the center of controversy after YouTube videos surfaced the first of the year when she appeared outside the Rialto City Hall for what was alleged to be a meeting to hear out issues regarding sanctuary-cities.
Gomez said she was invited to that Rialto meeting and out of curiosity she showed up. Although the Rialto meeting was cancelled, that didn’t’ stop protestors from demanding Gomez to step down from her position.
Some of those protestors were also in attendance of the the Tuesday night meeting with signs asking for Gomez to resign, and made verbal requests as well during the public’s open comment session.
The room was split between those who said they support Blanca’s transparency and community efforts, and those who called out her behavior and claimed she only supported certain members of the community.
“If council policy prevails today and the censure-ship passes I will be bringing a lawsuit… This is not Trump’s America, this is America and you still have to hear the voices of the community. This is ridiculous and I ask that the attorney take this off the calendar. We just had a death at hook park not even 15 minutes from the City Hall, and we’re discussing censure-ship because I’m not liked? The City is running the risk of getting a lawsuit that the City does not want. As a point of privilege I ask to table this for a future agenda, I have not had enough time to consult with a personal attorney,” said Blanca.
An attendee of the meeting told Victor Valley News that they never witnessed such a divided public meeting. “I wish we could put this same effort into things that really matter, not this.”
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