Lobbyist and former state assemblyman Jose Solorio resigned from his seat on the Board of Trustees for the Rancho Santiago Community College District Thursday evening, just two days after he moved out of his trustee area in order to run for the Santa Ana City Council.
Voice of OC reported Thursday morning that Solorio has moved from his family’s residence in south Santa Ana to an apartment north of 17th Street in order to run for Ward 3 on the City Council. That move conflicts with the community college district’s trustee area 1, which Solorio has represented since 2012.
Solorio resigned in a brief email sent to the clerk of the board and other trustees at 5:21 p.m.
“I have officially moved to another area in Santa Ana. So effective today, I am resigning from my seat on the RSCCD Board of Trustees, ” Solorio wrote.
Solorio’s campaign account for his community college seat had nearly $200,000 as of January, most of which he says can be transferred for his City Council run.
As a Rancho Santiago trustee, Solorio came under scrutiny last year for staying at a $400-per-night luxury hotel suite in Las Vegas on the taxpayers’ dime when he attended a conference as a board member.
Since last February, he has also worked as a lobbyist at the firm Nossaman LLP. The firm’s clients include Orange County’s toll roads agencies, the trade group for California car mechanic shops, the Orange County Water District, and Golden State Water Company, which is the water provider for much of North Orange County.
Contact Thy Vo at tvo@voiceofoc.org or follow her on Twitter @thyanhvo.