Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/miguel-pulido/)
Residents of both the Santa Anita neighborhood and Park Santiago neighborhood agree the Council has ignored their opposition to development near their homes — but residents of Santa Anita, a lower-income and predominantly Latino area, say they weren’t listened to as much as residents of Park Santiago, which has more white and higher-income residents.
Several Democrats are challenging First District County Supervisor Andrew Do. Meanwhile, Third District County Supervisor Don Wagner has drawn a sole challenger, Asheigh Aitken – who lost a close battle for Anaheim’s Mayor’s seat last year.
It’s the latest twist in a months-long saga over the police raises, which tie up most of the new money from Santa Ana’s recent $60 million sales tax increase approved by voters last November.
In sworn testimony, Mayor Miguel Pulido was accused of running a side business personally renting out city-owned property and interfering with police decisions about which illegal pot shops to raid. Pulido denies the allegations.
Two top Santa Ana officials, including a former police chief, alleged under oath the city’s police union leader engaged in bribery of City Council candidates in 2016, saying Sgt. Gerry Serrano told candidates they had to agree to fire then-Police Chief Carlos Rojas in order to benefit from $400,000 in campaign spending.
Santa Ana is now set to get a new city manager May 1, but will hold a special election this November to fill the vacant City Council seat formerly held by Roman Reyna.
Flor Barajas, Deputy Director at OCCORD, argues that Willowick Golf Course, currently zoned as Open Space, could be developed as a regional park adjourning Santa Ana and Garden Grove. Barajas writes that public lands should not be sold to developers but instead elected officials should protect this asset for future generations.
The city councils’ action struck down hopes for a park between two park-poor cities and stirred opponents’ fears developers will turn the property into an urban hotspot and price working-class families and Latinos out of the surrounding neighborhoods.
But City Hall’s day-to-day leadership remained in limbo.
Council members vote Tuesday on a nearly $400,000 separation agreement ousting City Manager Raul Godinez and decide on a replacement for longtime City Clerk Maria Huizar.
