Romero resigns City Council seat
CALEXICO – Embattled Mayor Pro Tem David Romero resigned his seat on the City Council Monday, effective immediately.
The city of Calexico confirmed it received Romero’s letter of resignation at 8:14 a.m.
On May 21, it was revealed Romero and former Economic Development and Financial Advisory Commission member Bruno Suarez-Soto both had been arraigned in federal court on a felony charge of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. Specifically, they are accused of conspiring to collect a $35,000 bribe in exchange for the expediting of a cannabis dispensary application submitted to the city.
“Upon everything that has unfolded in the last two weeks,” Romero said in his resignation letter, “I strongly believe this is the wisest and most effective decision for the benefit of our city and its citizens, since the last thing I want to do is continue taking you on a path of negative news, and that is last thing I want to reflect upon Calexico.”
Among those things that unfolded was a petition on Change. org calling for his resignation. “As of June 3, 2020, Councilman David Romero has not resigned and he is still collecting his monthly stipend and benefits from the taxpayers,” the petition, started by Calexico businessman Guillermo Hermosillo, said. “We, the residents of Calexico can’t trust David Romero as an elected official when he is truly engaged in bribery for special favors.”
“I initiated the petition on Change.org when I saw that the City Council didn’t act on the matter on meeting night,” Hermosillo told Imperial Valley Press on Monday. “I’m sure the petition wasn’t the only factor but definitely a big part of what drove him to resign.”
Hermosillo’s petition received more than 600 signatures. He thanked the community for its participation, as well as Romero, “for having the courage to resign, allowing the city to move forward.”
On May 24, the Calexico Chronicle quoted Mayor Bill Hodge regarding the allegations against Romero: “I’m saddened and especially disappointed in this young man. … I hope that he resigns. It would be best for him and the City Council.”
Hodge had not responded to a request for comment as of press time.
Romero was set to take over as Calexico mayor in July. Now it appears the baton will be passed on
to Councilwoman Rosie Fernandez, who herself was at the center of controversy in 2019 due to two high-profile traffic incidents: a hit-and-run on May 5 and a rear-end collision on July 6 for which she was arrested for driving under the influence. She accepted a plea agreement on Jan. 13 for the DUI.
“I am confident that Councilwoman Fernandez will do a great job as Mayor if approved by Council and she accepts,” City Manager David Dale said via email.
As for Romero’s council
seat, Dale said the city has its legal department looking at its options.
A special meeting of the City Council will be held today at 3 p.m. to discuss the matter.
Dale declined to discuss whether the city was conducting its own investigation into Romero and Suarez-Soto.
According to a federal authorities, the two men allegedly had set up a dummy company, RS Global Solutions LLC, in May 2019 to act as a consultancy firm to assist cannabis permit applicants, but authorities contend it
was meant to conceal their acts of collecting bribes from applicants who sought favorable treatment.
Both are alleged to have requested and ultimately received a total of $35,000 from a Federal Bureau of Investigations undercover agent during two separate transactions on Jan. 9 and Jan. 30, according to the criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
If convicted, the men would face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.