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Montebello voters have cast their ballots in three City Council races, which include whether to remove a sitting councilmember from office.
See the latest election results.
District 5 Councilmember Angie Jimenez faced the only recall in Los Angeles County on Election Day.
The initial round of results were composed entirely of vote-by-mail ballots that arrived before Election Day.
To recall Jimenez would require a simple majority of the vote.
According to early returns, Jimenez’s recall appeared to be above the threshold for passage.
A group of residents with backing from a local developer and out of town interests pushed to have the recall placed on the ballot.
Jimenez and her supporters say the recall has been done out of retaliation for her standing up to developers and that this is an effort to silence her.
Recall organizers say Jimenez has been absent from City Council meetings, voted against reinstating the Traffic and Safety Commission and created a hostile work environment at city hall.
District 2 incumbent Scarlet Peralta faced the challenge of former Montebello Councilmember Jack Hadjinian.
According to early returns, Peralta appeared to lead Hadjinian.
Peralta’s priorities included strengthening public safety and economic development. Hadjinian also highlighted public safety as well as city infrastructure maintenance as his top priorities.
Hadjinian said the city still has work to do in responding to the 2018 state audit. This would include implementing stronger financial controls, ensuring greater oversight and maintaining transparency in all city operations.
Peralta said the city has surpassed the financial challenges of the past. While there is still more to do, Peralta said financial stability and revenue have been increased, oversight and internal controls have been strengthened and internal policies have been updated to ensure compliance.
In District 4, Joella Valdez was on the ballot against incumbent David Torres.
Torres appeared to have a lead on Valdez in early returns.
Valdez, a Montebello planning commissioner, said her top priorities would be fair public safety resources and clean and safe streets.
Torres’ priorities included public safety and infrastructure. He said Montebello is seeing a “new and incredible wave of economic activity.” Torres highlighted the addition of TopGolf and the future addition of a Tesla dealership.
Valdez said that not enough has been done by the city to attract new businesses and that District 4 has several empty storefronts and abandoned lots. Part of her solution would be to streamline the permitting and licensing process and cleaning up neglected spaces.