The West Sacramento City Council is at an impasse as to how to fill a vacancy for a fifth member and looks to be headed toward a special election.
What that special election will look like, whether it will be a regular in-person election in November or a strictly mail-in process in August, is expected to be decided at the Council’s January 20 or February 3 meetings. As previously reported by the Sacramento OBSERVER, the vacancy was created after last November 3’s election, when City Councilmember Martha Guerrero was successful in her bid to become mayor.
Councilmembers Quirina Orozco and Chris Ledesma have supported having data researcher Dr. Dawnte Early fill the open spot, as she was the next highest vote getter in the recent election. Dr. Early would be the first African American to serve on the West Sacramento City Council. Mayor Guerrero and Councilmember Norma Alcala, who garnered the second highest number of votes, want to open it up to applications and have the Counci
WEST SACRAMENTO – Eighty-nine votes. That’s all that kept an area woman from guaranteeing a spot as the first Black person to serve on the West Sacramento City Council.
African American data researcher Dr. Dawnte Early may still have a shot as a seat has been opened by Councilmember Martha Guerrero beating out Mayor Christopher Cabaldon. How that spot will be filled is now up for debate a heated one. The new mayor and new council member Norma Alcala were sworn in during the December 9 meeting and the issue quickly divided the governing body.
Mayor Guerrero and Councilmember Alcala want to open it up to applications and have the Council select someone from that pool. The council has gone to this process twice in the past when someone had time remaining on their term upon retirement or leaving for another reason.