Is She In or Out?

The proceedings to remove Councilwoman Jennifer Rodriguez of Bell Gardens seem to have disappeared much like the EGP online news article that initially reported it. In 2017, tensions between local Bell Gardens government officials came to a head as Councilwoman Rodriguez was apparently attempting to recreate her very own ‘Serpico’ moment. She accused fellow members of the council of living outside city limits as well as trying to narrate certain ‘conflicts of interest.’ However, her colleagues stated that this sudden bout of finger-pointing was a reactionary effort to deflect the fact that she was served court papers regarding a complaint filed on behalf of the city to Superior Court for her removal of office due to her “chronic failure to attend city council meetings” which amounted to her having “vacated” the office. The complaint also demanded Councilwoman Rodriguez be fined $5,000 and forced to pay the cost of the legal proceedings.

According to records, the Councilwoman missed 10 of 20 council meetings held in 2016. She was excused only once in July and left within a few minutes of arriving at a meeting in November. Slam dunk, right? Apparently not. Because, to date, no one seems to really understand what exactly resulted from this municipal “beef” between members. Rodriguez chalked up the accumulation of her absences to an “illness” and stated that the attempted removal was retaliation against her for having accused her colleagues of the aforementioned unsubstantiated infractions.

FACT: According to state law, if a member misses all regular council meetings scheduled within 60 consecutive days, his or her office becomes vacant. The complaint alleges Rodriguez’s Bell Gardens council seat became vacant on Sept. 24, 2016. However, Rodriguez still graces the halls of power with her presence every first and third Tuesday of the month. The only thing is, no one can explain exactly why or what happened since papers were filed. What gives? Share your thoughts or juicy intel below.