Residents launch petition to recall embattled San Jose city council member Omar Torres
Residents launch petition to recall embattled San Jose city council member Omar Torres
Today, a group of San Jose residents and downtown business owners launched launched an effort to recall city council member Omar Torres. They say a police investigation into his text messages, and his three week absence from the city council, show he no longer has his constituents best interests in mind.
San Jose, Calif. - Enough is enough: that's the message from community leaders in San Jose.
"This is pretty much a District 3 community SOS," says Dee Barrigan, who lives in the district.
Residents and business owners say embattled city councilmember Omar Torres is no longer fit to serve, and they're launching an effort to recall him.
"It was the voters who put him in office. It will be the voters who remove him from office," said Matthew Quevedo, one of the organizers of the recall. Quevedo, works in Mayor Matt Mahan's office, but says he is speaking only in his capacity as a longtime District 3 resident.
Torres is currently the subject of a police investigation, after sending a series of sexually explicit messages about children. His attorney called them "fantasy and role play." Community leaders call them a disgrace.
"What's been said has been largely inappropriate. The councilmember has lost trust in the community. Folks are looking for representation. We don't have anyone at council who's representing us," said Quevedo.
For three weeks, Torres has been absent from the council. He has been stripped of all his committee positions. And he has requested a 30-day medical leave to address his mental health, which has not been approved.
"He's been absolutely silent. He has not attended any public meetings or city council meetings. So he basically is abandoning his post and his responsibilities," said Jeff Levine, a downtown resident.
Residents say they need to take action since the city council has no mechanism to vote him out. Councilmember Bien Doan wants to change that.
"Even after this, we make sure we change the policies, change the charter so that way, if this ever happens again, we have the ability to remove a council member," said Doan.
The recall is a slow process. Residents are circulating a petition and need to collect more than 5,000 signatures. It could take months. They're really hoping Torres will resign instead.
"I'm hoping over the next couple of weeks, and with the pressure of a recall, that he'll do the right thing for the city and for his constituents," said Steve Cohen, a resident.
We reached out to Torres but haven't heard back. Organizers of the recall effort expect to file a notice of intent in the next week or two, which requires an initial batch of 250 signatures. By the end of the year, they hope to have the 5,000 signatures they'll need to advance the recall measure to a ballot.
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