THE CITY OF MONTEBELLO IS UNDER THREAT!
We must unite and Demand Accountability from our city leaders.
UNPRECEDENTED
A NO QUORUM, City Council appointed a new council member to the District 5 seat.
On January 29, 2025, during a city council meeting, Mayor Pro-temp Georgina Tamayo of District 1 (D1) and Councilmember Scarlet Peralta of District 2 (D2) failed to meet quorum. Despite this, and based on the poor and misguided advice of City Attorney Arnold Alvarez-Glasman, the two council members proceeded to fraudulently appoint their ally, Rick Alonzo, to the vacant District 5 (D5) seat—with only two members present.
This decision raises serious concerns. On January 22, these same council members refused to nominate anyone, forcing the city to schedule a special meeting for January 29. More troubling still is the fact that the city council had until February 5 to make the appointment—yet they rushed through this process without regard for the law or transparency.
Glasman’s Defense:
On January 29, Glasman claims to have received legal advice from the Strumwasser & Woocher law firm during a phone conversation. He asserts that Strumwasser & Woocher agreed with his legal analysis, which authorized a two-person quorum. Glasman further cites the opinion in Nesbitt v. Bolz (1939) 13 Cal.2d.677, which is no longer valid or relevant to the current situation.
Montebello Voices Opposition:
Our attorney immediately reached out to Strumwasser & Woocher, and their response was clear: "We have not been retained by the City for these purposes nor been authorized to communicate with anybody about this issue on behalf of the City."
This is not a simple mistake on Glasman’s part; it is a lie. Glasman has misrepresented the legal advice he claims to have received. The law is clear.
The case Price v. Tennant Community Services Dist., 194 Cal.App.3d 491 (1987), directly distinguishes Nesbitt, holding unequivocally that a quorum for a five-member body is always three, regardless of vacancies. This precedent is settled law. Additionally, the Opinion of Kamala Harris, Attorney General, dated December 28, 2011, clearly states that, "The Council may not define its quorum as less than a simple majority of the Council's full statutory membership."
With the resignation of Council Member David Torres (D4) and the unavailability of Mayor Sal Melendez (D3), QUORUM WAS NOT REACHED AND THE APPOINTMENT WAS ILLEGAL!
UNDERMINES THE RULE OF LAW AND PUBLIC TRUST.
We need to stand together and fight this injustice to the City. The Montebello V.O.IC.E.S. Coalition has retained Attorney Scott Rafferty, who has a track record of holding the City, City Attorney and City Council accountable, as he did in 2022-2023. We are working closely with Mr. Rafferty to ensure the rule of law is upheld.
This is your chance to make a difference for Montebello's future.
Montebello's City Attorney, Arnold Alvarez-Glasman needs to be held accountable.
Please join by donating today. Together we can demand for leadership our community deserves.
Thank you for standing with us and we greatly appreciate your support.
Sincerely, Montebello V.O.I.C.E.S. Coalition
Organizer
