"The check is void, the check it void"
The check councilman Charlie San Miguel presented to the parks and leisure director who was suspended has been voided by the city manager.
" He never thought about that poor man that was suspended. He's selfish."
"There was a mismanagement of funds...he didn't know better, when does he take accountability? If you go in front of a judge for committing a crime, and you tell the judge, you didn't know better, the judge will still sentence you."
Intensity filled the inside of city chambers Monday as people spoke out about San Miguel, with the primary focus on him taking home the money that was raised at the mud run event on September 15.
Other members also called out San Miguel for presenting the suspended employee with a check.
"And then giving him the check, trying to say here, I'm sorry. That was not right."
"Families were altered, families were affected, I apologize if you don't like the way we're going about this. But the fact of the matter is, if we do nothing, we are just as guilty."
Six of the other seven city council members had an agenda item or co-sponsored an agenda item in regards to San Miguel.
"I'm trying to make him see and open his eyes, and say hey, you care about your family, but do you care about any other families being affected?”
"We had the items on the agenda because we want transparency and take the appropriate action."
San Miguel sat in city chambers today and responded to his actions with apologizes and said he recommends additional training for new members.
"When you come into office, there is just a lot of things we don't know, I didn't come from a world of politics so I think an orientation like they do with the school district….I think that would help a newly elected official."
Monday we learned that there is nothing in the charter that San Miguel violated that would force him out of office for taking home the funds, but as we reported earlier San Miguel said he would resign if an ordinance is put into effect affecting his sons who are in the fire department.
City officials said they will look into adding ordinances to the city charter to prevent this from happening again. They said they would start working on it at next city council meeting.