Santa Ana City Clerk: No Fourth Term for Alvarez in Santa Ana

Claudia Alvarez
Santa Ana Councilwoman Claudia Alvarez (Photo: Chris Prevatt)

Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez may not run for a fourth term according to Santa Ana city clerk Maria Huizar, reports the Voice of OC.  Under the terms of Measure D, passed in 2008 which gave council members a third term, the clock did not reset for Alavrez who had already served two terms on the Santa Ana City Council.  Alavrez has been searching for a loophole that would allow her to run and the only apparent ways to do so is to file suit in Superior Court or challenge long term Mayor Miguel Pulido this fall.

From the VOC story:

However, Huizar cautioned, the opinion could be overturned by a Superior Court order. But at this point city officials have no reason to believe that anyone will challenge the issue in court, Huizar said.

“As of right now,” Alvarez can’t run, “but that could change between now and the nomination period,” Huizar said. The nomination period begins July 16 and ends Aug. 10, she said.

Meanwhile, Alvarez remains coy about her intentions. When asked whether she would attempt another run, Alvarez would only say it’s the “$64 million question.”

The LiberalOC has asked Santa Ana Council members and the city’s PIO office for months why taxpayers had to foot a bill for more than $8,000 to determine eligibility when it seemed pretty clear cut.  Council members deferred to the city’s lawyers and the PIO.  The LiberalOC last spoke about this issue with the PIO’s office on April 3 requesting a statement on why determining Alvarez’s eligibility to run was an obligation of the taxpayers — we asked for comments within two weeks and none has been provided.

It is our opinion that Alvarez should be paying the legal fees from her campaign coffers for this expense which does not benefit city residents or taxpayers.  The city of Santa Ana has already paid for significant costs associated with a “private” cultural community forum between Latino residents and Jewish residents in the wake of anti-Semitic statements made by Alvarez against city property owners Irv and Ryan Chase.

10 Comments

  1. dan,
    how much do the members of the great park board make in that position and can it be justified in light of the dirth of activity at the great park?

    • Im asking because you seem to take umbrage with the expense of $8,000 for a study to detrmine if Alvarez was eligible for another term. A legitimate concern I admit. But the fact that you take issue with it while you never lived in the city of Santa Ana, and you tout the prowess of Irvine electeds, I want to see if you can justify the largess and expenses being placed on the taxpayers for what, as far as I can tell, nothing to show for it. Do you know how much each member of the great park board earn in that position and can you point to significant and consistent activities of the board mebers and individuals to justify the expense?

      • Hey Henry, er, Sean Mill. Why the consternation over the compensation of the Great Park Board? Doesn’t Santa Ana Mayor for life Miguel Pulido sit on that board in Irvine for which he gets paid $880 a month regardless of his ability or lack thereof to attend meetings? Pulidos arrived late or left early to more than 70 meetings. Sounds kinds like your pal Sal Tinajero. Pulidos missed more than 30 meetings completely.

        So Irvine taxpayers pay $10,560 a year to the Mayor of Santa Ana to assist in building a park which by looking at his record in Santa Ana he’s a complete failure at.

        And don’t forget that Irvine taxpayers on on the hook for Pulidos 401 pension as part of his compensation.

      • Henry —
        I am at the Great Park about every other week. There is a lot of progress being made there. How often do you go? And Great Park Board members don’t make that much at all. And why wouldn’t I laud the records of Irvine electeds? Our city is the economic center of OC, we’re America’s safest city several years running, our reserves are about $20 million, our business tax is low, our school excel and we have an abundance of park space per resident, and we have a very diverse population — all things statistically better than our neighbors a few miles away. And Irvine pays a large chunk of the new deal Santa Ana city officials worked out for your fire departments.

        My issue with Ms. Alvarez’s $8,000 is that isn’t taxpayer responsibility to cover an expense associated with a political legal isse of determining her eligibility. I have written stories about political issues in Fullerton, Costa Mesa, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Beach, Tustin, Irvine, Anaheim and Santa Ana. I fail to see why my city of residence is an issue in what I write about.

  2. I’m disgusted that thousands of taxpayer dollars were wasted in an attempt to break the law. Who authorized the wasting of these taxpayer dollars and why the did should be part of a criminal investigation.

    The City of Santa Ana Charter clearly states:
    A person who has served three (3) consecutive terms of four (4) years each shall be eligible for appointment, nomination for or election to the office of councilmember (regardless of wards represented by that person during such period) no sooner than for a term beginning eight (8) years after completion of that councilmember’s third consecutive full term.

    Simply put, Claudia Alvarez only gets to serve 12 years on the Council before having to sit out at least 8 years before becoming eligible to serve gain.

    Measure D was poorly written and does not reset the clock allowing 3 additional terms.

    In her 12 years on Santa Ana City Council Ms Alvarez has zero accomplishments to her credit. We are no better off after 12 years with Ms Alvarez on the Council. There are zero new parks, zero new libraries, fewer police officers, an outsourced fire department due to Councils mis-management of the budget, City Hall is closed at least 52 business days a year (not real business friendly), higher unemployment than when she started 12 years ago, an abnormally high school drop-out rate and what some would perceive as an un-ethical City Council majority.

    Santa Ana deserves better.

  3. Thomas, leaving the various council members out of the question and looking at the voter passed measure “D” , All the current council members are in their 1st term under the 3 term limit.

    I understand your train of thought on the phase of “3 continuous terms” and the thinking that the terms served under the old 2 term limits applies. But the prior terms do not count as the prior law has been replaced.

    There is some kind of game being played; I don’t see how the city can use taxpayer funds to get an opinion on the effect of a city law that affects the residents voting rights. How can it be kept secret?

    • Robin — you have mentioned another court has already decided this; can you please cite the court and that decision?

      Since Ms. Alvarez is coy about what the city clerk’s decision means, I believe she still intends to pull papers and is using this decision to lull some of the citizen’s groups preparing legal paperwork to thwart any new candidacy for city council into a sense of unpreparedness.

      If she wants to remain on the city council, it’s very simple for her to declare her candidacy for Mayor.

  4. “How can it be kept secret?”

    They know that someone would have to sue them in court to get it released.

  5. WE NEED CHANGE & TOGETHER WE CAN SUCCEED!!! Term limits were increased to immediately benefit Ms. Alvarez whose 2nd term was about to come to an end. IF she’s delusional and believes the constituents of the City of Santa Ana meant for her to further extend her stay, she is mistaken. WE NEED FRESH BLOOD in our Santa Ana City Council, VOTE FOR KARINA ONOFRE!!! She is young, intelligent, passionate, a natural leader who was born and raised in Santa Ana… certified G.A.T.E. student since 2nd grade, attended Roosevelt and Santiago Elementary, Willard Intermediate, and Santa Ana High… Received numerous accolades in school including an Award from the President of the United States, President George W. Bush… She has been President of her peers and went to Allegheny College in the east coast for Economics & Political Science. Is CEO of a local Spanish Magazine called Mundo Latino World for which she received an Award from our Congresswoman, Loretta Sanchez… Meet her, she is sharp, charismatic, inspiring, and will make a POSITIVE difference in the City of Santa Ana.

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