Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/michele-martinez/)
The council also may ask voters to change the city charter to add punishments for a mayor if he or she doesn’t sign ordinances and resolutions approved by a majority of the seven-member council.
Santa Ana council members and residents have said the three cities’ refusal to accept emergency shelters revealed a double standard: It’s okay to put shelters near poor kids in Santa Ana but not near kids from wealthier families.
It was unclear Friday whether the measure will go before voters in June. The ruling left a potential door open for further round of legal arguments by city officials and the mayor.
Santa Ana City Councilwoman Michelle Martinez challenges Orange County officials on the housing crisis noting that nearly half of Orange County cities haven’t updated their general plans, which is a great way to set out a community housing strategy.
The city is seeking a court order to force Mayor Miguel Pulido to sign paperwork allowing a June ballot measure in which voters could change Santa Ana’s election system to district-based voting. The case could be filed in Superior Court as soon as Tuesday.
The county’s chief elections official rejected a last-ditch effort to put the district elections on the ballot, after the mayor refused to sign the necessary paperwork. A majority of council members also apparently held an illegal strategy meeting via group text messages.
After an emotional and contentious debate Tuesday, council members voted 4-3 to put the districting issue to voters in June. Mayor Miguel Pulido, who opposes the measure, apparently has refused to sign the paperwork needed to put the measure on the ballot.
City Council members appear likely to place the question on the ballot during their Tuesday night meeting.
The budget pressures are prompting warnings from the city manager that services may have to be cut back, despite growth in tax revenues. The funding gap is projected to grow to $40 million in five years.
Santa Ana is facing a possible three-way race for mayor in November, has wide-open contests for three of its City Council seats, and the largest fundraising to date has been by the city’s police union, according to the latest campaign reports.