Court hearing on Mabton Mayor recall petition delayed, city still without budget for 2024

MABTON, Wash. — Mabton city officials and citizens gathered in Yakima County Superior Court on Wednesday morning for the latest hearing on the petition to recall Mayor Rachel Ruelas over claims she has violated state laws and her oath of office.

At the previous hearing, Ruelas was granted an order of continuance to allow her time to secure legal representation. She was reportedly able to hire a lawyer Monday, but the attorney representing her in court requested another continuance to review documents included in the recall petition.

According to the recall petition, the city has been operating without an approved budget for the past seven months.

"That is one of the very serious contingents made in this particular case, so the court finds that there is some urgency to get this matter proceeding forward," Yakima County Superior Court Judge Richard Bartheld said.

Ruben Olivarez, a Mabton resident, expressed his frustration, saying, "Nobody knows what they can spend, how much money is available, and those are concerning. As a citizen of Mabton, it concerns me."

The petition also accuses the mayor of using her position to secure special privileges, including advertising her personal business on the city website, which would be a violation of state law.

"Mabton can’t go on like this," Olivarez said. "I'm not the only citizen that's upset. There’s a lot of people that are upset about what's going on. There's no transparency."

Judge Bartheld agreed to grant a two-week continuance to allow the mayor's attorney to review the documents.

"I want to give both sides a fair opportunity for resolution because it is an important situation," Bartheld said. "If the court is in error,making my rulings, it’s subject to appeal ... That delays the matter even further."

Mabton City Council member Sophia Sotelo commented on the delay, saying "I don't think we feel that our case would be any less compelling if we waited a couple more weeks."

Judge Bartheld set the next hearing for 9 a.m. on Aug. 14 in Yakima County Superior Court.

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