Michael Karlis
District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, District 5’s Teri Castillo, District 6’s Melissa Cabello Havrda, District 7’s Marina Alderete Gavito and District 10 Marc Whyte maintain a press convention at Metropolis Corridor on Thursday.
5 members of San Antonio Metropolis Council held a swiftly organized press convention Thursday calling for a dialogue of whether or not to take away Metropolis Legal professional Andy Segovia for giving what they known as conflicting and inaccurate authorized recommendation.
The coalition made up of District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, District 5’s Teri Castillo, District 6’s Melissa Cabello Havrda, District 7’s Marina Alderete Gavito and District 10 Marc Whyte, alleges that Segovia is not match for the job and is bogging down council’s makes an attempt to get issues carried out.
“It is time for a change,” mentioned Cabello Havrda, who’s contemplating a marketing campaign to develop into mayor. “I like Andy, he is a pleasant man. However this can be a skilled surroundings, and I would like him to do the work that we’re asking him to do.”
The group says Segovia has lengthy struggled to present correct authorized recommendation to council. Nonetheless, the straw that broke the camel’s again got here throughout a gathering Wednesday, when Segovia and Mayor Ron Nirenberg refused to carry an government session to debate town’s ongoing negotiations with the firefighters union.
That refusal led McKee-Rodriguez, Castillo, Cabello Havrda, Alderete Gavito and Whyte to file a memo Wednesday demanding an “government committee assembly” on the matter be held by Could 17.
Segovia nonetheless refused, citing issues info may leak out from that assembly, compromising town’s potential to barter with the union on a brand new contract.
“As Metropolis Legal professional, I’ve an moral responsibility to keep up the confidentiality of our government periods,” Segovia mentioned in an announcement. “Primarily based on info that was relayed to me, I’ve no confidence that what is claimed there with respect to the collective bargaining settlement — town’s second largest contract — will stay confidential.”
Nonetheless, in a twist, Nirenberg, in a textual content message to KSAT, fully contradicted Segovia.”If Council needs to debate the deserves of the contract, we should always achieve this publicly,” the mayor mentioned.
“It’s very weird. It is mindless,” Whyte advised the Present at Thursday’s press convention.
In response to the contradictory feedback, Segovia’s 5 council detractors filed one more memo Thursday to debate whether or not town legal professional is able to persevering with in his place.
“It’s our perception that consideration of a change in management throughout the Workplace of the Metropolis Legal professional is critical to make sure that the pursuits of the council and the residents of San Antonio are sufficient represented and guarded,” the memo states.
The memo cites “vital inconsistencies and a demonstrated lack of transparency” in Segovia’s authorized opinions as causes for debating his removing.
Throughout Thursday’s presser, Cabello Havrda accused Segovia of repeatedly misinforming council members final 12 months that it was towards state regulation for town to spay and neuter animals detained by Animal Care Providers. That proved to be false, based on the councilwoman, and the coverage is now a part of a Council Consideration Request launched this week by Alderete Gavito.
In the meantime, McKee-Rodriguez accused Segovia of “shifting the goalposts” when he tried to carry conversations about what insurance policies town may implement relating to a cite-and-release coverage for minor legal offenses. Voters final 12 months shot down a legal justice reform package deal that will have codified cite and launch.
“I am going to inform you, we’re airing a bit little bit of soiled laundry right here, but it surely’s gotten to that time,” Cabello Havrda advised reporters.
Following the press convention, District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez, who lately introduced a run for mayor, took to social media to lambaste his colleagues for calling on Segovia to resign. In his remarks, Pelaez even accusing them of breaking council’s ethics guidelines.
“What you noticed at this time actually has nothing to do with [Segovia’s] efficiency or his health for workplace,” Pelaez mentioned throughout a virtually two-minute clip posted on X. “It was lots of political grandstanding and showboating. However it’s carried out on the expense of a superb man’s fame, and taking part in quick and free with an individual’s profession to attain political factors — that is actually disappointing. It isn’t management.”
A message from Councilman Manny Pelaez relating to council colleagues’ current memorandum in regards to the Metropolis Legal professional’s competency. pic.twitter.com/nVoezF3kQb
— Councilman Manny Pelaez (@MannyforSA) Could 9, 2024
Pelaez added that he believes the 5 council members determined to go public with their grievances as a result of “they simply don’t love the recommendation they have been getting.”
Ouch.
Council is ready to reconvene for B session at 2 p.m. Could 15.
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