In the middle of a corruption probe investigation, Huntington Park City Council cancels Monday's meeting

A week after a corruption scandal made the City of Huntington Park a national news story, the city canceled its Monday meeting, citing a “lack of quorum.” 

Lacking a quorum means there were not the sufficient number of council members available to meet. 

Vice Mayor Arturo Flores said the two-day closure of City Hall  on Wednesday and Thursday of last week prevented staff from preparing the necessary briefs for Monday night’s meeting. 

The closure happened after the DA’s Bureau of Investigation searched 11 locations regarding the potential misuse of millions of dollars in public funds allocated for an aquatic center at Salt Lake Park. The locations included Huntington Park City Hall, the house of Mayor Karina Macias, Councilmember Eduardo Martinez and City Manager Ricardo Reyes, among other former elected officials. 

City officials respond to the community

City Hall reopened on Friday, and the council members called for a special meeting to hear public comments and discuss actions following the DA’s investigation. Attending the meeting were Councilmembers Jonathan Sanabria, Flores and Martinez and Mayor Macias. 

Several residents spoke, not just against the actions of the council members but also about the city's decay for years and the inability of their local government to help constituents.

The complaints went beyond requesting the council members to step down. Residents accused Huntington Park police department's power of authority, lack of transparency, parking tickets for parents who go pick up their children at school, excessive taxes and misuse of public funds.

Other residents expressed their discontent with elected officials because they felt betrayed. 

Esperanza Rodriguez, a 30-year resident and business owner, said the City receives millions, but it doesn’t give anything back to its residents. 

She said she believed in Macias initially. She supported her campaign and celebrated her triumph. However, when she was elected, she voted to raise city taxes. Rodriguez said she was deceived. 

“You should be in office for a maximum of five years so you don’t fall in love with power,” said Rodriguez. “We need new people to help our community.”

The City of Huntington Park charter states that council members are elected for four-year terms and can serve up to four terms. 

Legal counsel representing the City and two officials

An item brought for a vote was to consider a conflict of interest waiver allowing attorney Andrew Sarega to represent Reyes and Martinez in matters related to the DA’s investigation. Sarega is the attorney hired by the City to investigate the residence of former Councilwoman Esmeralda Castillo. She was removed from her seat onFebruary 24 after it was found she doesn’t live in the City of Huntington Park, as is required in order to hold office. 

Sarega said if he represented Reyes and Martinez, the City would not pay him attorney fees. Both would be responsible for the cost of such representation.

Macias immediately opposed the conflict of interest waiver, saying she was concerned because the investigation for Councilwoman Castillo is not over yet. 

“So all of that is in the middle, and obviously having this investigation by the DA to have an attorney to waive conflict, I just don't feel comfortable with that,” she said. “The DA should be investigating this too, and I've already talked to him.”

With a 2-1 vote, the motion carried allowing Sarega to represent Reyes and Martinez while working on the case against Castillo.

The next City Council meeting in Huntington Park will be March 17 at 6 p.m., at which a new Mayor and Vice Mayor will be selected.