Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/vicente-sarmiento/)
The new contract raises the base salary for officers and sergeants by 5.6 percent to 10.6 percent, depending on seniority and work schedule. Supporters say it’s needed to keep compensation competitive, while opponents say Santa Ana can’t afford the increase.
New concerns are being raised about whether the city has been illegally overcharging residents and businesses for trash collection and using the money for other services like police, firefighting, and parks.
Mayor Miguel Pulido canceled the meeting Thursday morning, citing a lack of enough council members to hold it. The meeting had sparked claims of illegal vote-trading from one of his colleagues.
Mayor Miguel Pulido called a special City Council meeting exactly 24 hours before it’s scheduled start time Thursday afternoon. His move sparked claims of wrongdoing by one of his colleagues.
Officials still are drafting rules for when the cameras must be turned on, what the repercussions are for not using the cameras and whether any videos will be made public. The City Council also is considering increased oversight of the police department, including possibly creating a civilian review panel.
City officials described a troubling financial future, with a projected $14 million shortfall for city operating costs in the fiscal year that starts July 1.
Carlos Rojas is resigning and taking a job in the San Francisco Bay Area, amid public praise and criticism of his leadership from a divided City Council.
Santa Ana’s detainees now are held at county jails, leaving over 300 empty beds at the city jail. Most City Council members said they want to consider a mental health facility.
In a unanimous vote Wednesday, the City Council told city staff to work with nonprofits and law schools and develop a plan to provide lawyers for Santa Ana residents who are at risk of deportation but can’t afford an attorney.
An effort led by Mayor Miguel Pulido to remove City Manager David Cavazos continues, with Cavazos’ “dismissal/release” on the closed-session agenda. Neighborhood activists are planning to show up and protest the ouster effort.