Montebello council restores rights to new mayor

By Alfredo Santana

Contributing Writer

MONTEBELLO — The City Council has voted to restore rights and certain privileges that were stripped from Mayor David Torres last August when the council voted to censure their colleague for allegedly harassing several municipal employees by phone, with text messages, faxes and on social media. 

Restoring Torres’ right to travel and represent the city at conferences with elected state officials and colleagues from other cities includes the apportionment of money to pay for such trips, according to public records of the Jan. 11 meeting.

The 3-0 vote was cast by Torres and Councilwomen Scarlet Peralta and Georgina Tamayo, with abstentions from Councilman Salvador Melendez and Councilwoman Angie Jimenez.

Lifting the censure also allows Torres to appoint representatives to committees across several jurisdictions within the city, according to City Attorney Arnold Alvarez-Glasman. 

None of the council members commented on the issue. The resolution took effect immediately after the vote. 

Torres was censured due to a myriad of complaints from city staff. His problems began after 17 employees complained that Torres contacted them to produce documents such as contracts with certain vendors that should have been reported to the city council, and for bills paid.

Torres had previously stated that he requested those documents because they were missing as part of the agenda packets, and that his actions were based on pledges he made to voters to hold the city financially accountable.

He also was accused of sexual harassment.

In response to the allegations levied against Torres, the City Council hired attorney Nancy Doumanian to investigate them, and moved to censure him based on her findings rendered at a closed session last year. 

During the public comment period at the Jan. 11 meeting, residents expressed their support and concern for restoring Torres’ powers.  

Montebello resident Tila Gregorian said 17 employees filed complains that Torres bullied them off and online to disclose and speak of materials they are not allowed to, causing seven to sue him and the city. 

Others said they planned to file police reports against Torres for his aggressive tactics. 

“Yet you want to have your powers restored? Really, how can staff and the community believe that you have changed?” Gregorian asked. “I mean, it’s not an easy thing to have to work under such stressful situations. I’m not too happy about having your powers restored.”

By contrast, fellow resident Yvette Fimbres said she was impressed with the way Torres conducted the first council meeting following his installation as mayor, treating officials and the public with respect, and giving them time to voice their opinions and claims. 

“The censure that was placed upon Mayor Torres was unlawful. I was beyond disbelief to witness such an injustice here in the Montebello council chamber,” Fimbres said. “However, tonight you all have the opportunity to reverse such gross action and reinstate the rights and privileges that are imperative to all council members.” 

Torres was sworn in as Montebello mayor in December.

However, Torres claims that an arrangement orchestrated by former Mayor Kimberlee Cobbs-Cawthorne, Jimenez and Melendez that raises the number of council seats to seven put him and Peralta at a disadvantage.

Both Torres and Peralta were first elected to hold citywide seats in 2020, and will have to run for reelection in 2024 to possibly face the two temporary at-large council members they are about to appoint, and other candidates.  

The new city council members will be filled by appointment. Those positions will sunset in two years.  

Torres won the election to represent District 4 by defeating opponent Rafael Rodriguez, while Peralta claimed victory against Steven Andrade in District 2. 

Other elected leaders are District 1 Councilwoman Georgina Tamayo, who ran a successful campaign to oust Cobbs-Cawthorne, District 3 Councilman Melendez and District 5 Councilwoman Jimenez.  

Melendez and Jimenez were both reelected on Nov. 8. 

In previous meetings, Peralta had called the Torres censure a political witchhunt, while Melendez said the measure aimed to restore civility and respect toward city workers and to appease complaints raised by his aggressive behavior. 

Melendez, Jimenez and Cobbs-Cawthorne voted to censure Torres on Aug. 24, while Peralta sided with him against the measure. 

“We continuously had Mr. Torres harassing our staff, criticizing our staff. Forget about asking about all these documents and information,” Jimenez said at the August meeting. “It was more than a dozen people who experienced a sort of harassment from Mr. Torres.”  

After the punishment was undone, Jimenez launched a tirade against Torres, accusing him of dishonesty and lack of transparency when he reached out to staff, and for being under the wing of power brokers that financed his campaign.

Following repeated attempts to bring the public gathering into order, Torres had to call for a recess to regroup and act on legal advice from the city attorney.

The meeting lasted more than seven hours, and finished after midnight.