By Emilie St. John
Contributing Writer
INGLEWOOD — City Councilwoman Gloria Gray was served with legal notice on Sept. 1 regarding her holding two elected positions that have been defined as incompatible by California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Gray was served during the public comment portion of the City Council meeting after Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman declined to pursue legally removing her from one of the seats after multiple complaints were filed with his office.
Inglewood resident Daniel Bookman and Conner Everts of the Southern California Watershed Alliance served Gray with a verified complaint in quo warranto during the council meeting.
Quo warranto is the legal process the attorney general uses to investigate one simple question: is this double-elected official able to be sued for the illegal action of holding two conflicting offices simultaneously, thereby requiring them to be removed from one of the offices?
Gray has held her Division II seat on the West Basin Municipal Water District board while serving on the Inglewood City Council since she was sworn into her council office in 2023.
Inglewood buys roughly 77% of its drinking water from West Basin.
As a result of her votes on the West Basin water board, Gray had to recuse herself from voting on water rate increases levied against Inglewood property owners.
In 2025, Lauren Sutton launched a complaint alleging Inglewood residents are not being properly served by Gray serving in both positions.
“According to the principles set forth in California Government Code Section 1099, and as supported by prior rulings by the Fair Political Practices Commission], a person may not simultaneously hold two public offices if the duties of either office may conflict with the duties of the other,” Sutton wrote in the complaint.
“In past determinations, similar dual office-holding arrangements have been deemed incompatible and therefore prohibited under California law.”
The state watchdog agency rejected Sutton’s complaint.
In the new complaint filed by Bookman and Everts, they allege that Gray sets Inglewood’s wholesale water rates while voting on the city’s budget that pays them.
The complaint argues that under Government Code 1099, Gray forfeited her West Basin seat the moment she took the council oath, and asks a judge to say so.
Business leaders, community leaders and environmental groups are now urging Bonta, whose sign-off is needed for the case to move forward.
“She’s the buyer, seller and negotiator,” according to the filing.
Emilie St. John is a freelance journalist covering the areas of Carson, Compton, Inglewood and Willowbrook. Send tips to her at emiliesaintjohn@gmail.com.
