Is the Santa Ana City Council going to push for ward-specific elections and full time pay?

I heard today from a Santa Ana City Hall insider (yes one of my pajaritos) that the Santa Ana City Council is seriously looking at changing our City Council elections to a Ward-Specific model. Currently we elect our Council Members at large – but they have to live in a specific Ward (unless they move of course).

But that’s not all – the City Council majority – which includes Mayor Pro Tem Michele Martinez, and Council Members David Benavides, Sal Tinajero and Vince Sarmiento, are also allegedly going to ask the voters to make them full time elected officials – with six figure salaries.

I would personally welcome Ward Specific elections but my tipster said that it will be very difficult to arrange equal wards – given that some wards are denser than others. That aside the other problem would be that changing our election laws would give each of our City Council members a fresh set of years – in effect nullifying their current term limits. That is no bueno! These Council Members have been on the Council for some ten years now and our City is worse than ever because of their efforts.

I would be open to full time Council Members as well – but not this bunch! I wouldn’t hire any of these Council Members in the current majority.

Crime has shot way up under their watch – and now the City is tittering on the edge of financial ruin because of their ill-advised Sanctuary City ordinance.

Be careful when the wolves ask the sheep for anything! This City Council majority simply cannot be trusted.

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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