National City leaders have agreed to consider censuring the freshly re-elected Councilmember Jose Rodriguez over assertions that he has repeatedly violated the city’s code of conduct.
On Tuesday, the City Council voted 3-2 to put the matter on the Dec. 3 agenda. Mayor Ron Morrison, who is proposing his colleague be censured, received support from Councilmembers Marcus Bush and Luz Molina. Rodriguez and Councilmember Ditas Yamane voted against it.
“I’ve had a number of requests from people saying that there’s been so many different things that have come up over these last couple of years, but … this is the only legal way to do that,” Morrison said.
The mayor and several other residents allege that Rodriguez used city resources to help himself get re-elected and have accused him of being politically divisive.
“It’s simply petty,” Rodriguez told his colleagues during the contentious conversation that was supposed to be brief and without any details about the proposed censure.
He suggested that complaints about his campaign be made with the state Fair Political Practices Commission.
“This is grossly utilizing city resources for your political gain at this moment and that is a shame and is something that continues to be a reoccurring theme throughout your 30-year tenure,” Rodriguez told Morrison. “The election is over, guys. Get over it.”
Voters on Nov. 5 elected Rodriguez to serve a second four-year term. He was first elected at-large to the City Council in 2020 and earlier this month he was chosen to represent the newly drawn District 2. He beat Randi Castle-Salgado, a city Planning commissioner, by more than 70%, according to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.
Critics argue that Rodriguez used public funds for a turkey giveaway to residents last November during a city event about park updates. They’ve also questioned his hiring of city staff members to promote his re-election campaign indirectly at city events.
Additionally, he was accused of making divisive comments and bringing negative attention to a planning commissioner after sending out a campaign email with a photo of the official’s house and a Trump flag. The message erroneously suggested that Castle-Salgado lived there and was a supporter of president-elect Donald Trump.
