SANTA ANA : Ex-Candidate Rejected for Commission Seat
The City Council has narrowly rejected the appointment of a popular community activist to the Community Redevelopment Commission, prompting one councilman to charge that city politics tainted the decision.
The council voted 4 to 3 to reject the appointment of Ana Y. Vasquez, who ran an unsuccessful campaign in November to unseat Robert L. Richardson. She received 44% of the vote to his 56%.
Council members Richardson, Miguel A. Pulido Jr., Patricia McGuigan and Thomas E. Lutz opposed the appointment. Council members Lisa Mills and Tony Espinoza voted in favor, as did Ted R. Moreno, who nominated her.
After the vote, Moreno angrily charged that an obviously popular nominee was rejected for purely political reasons.
“I wonder why you would vote against this. The people felt this nominee should have some role in city government,” he said.
Pulido responded that council members “have their own prerogatives to vote yes or no.”
Moreno may nominate someone else to the seven-member commission, a city spokeswoman said.
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