Taft City Council swears in new Ward 1 representative

Taft City Council filled the vacant Ward 1 seat during Tuesday's meeting. The position had been open for several months.

The newly elected council member is Rolando "Ronnie" Rodriguez. Rodriguez had originally run for the position during November's local election. He was offered the seat again earlier in the year but was denied due to a legal error.

During Tuesday's meeting, the council received legal clarification on the 1989 lawsuit Garcia v. City of Taft. The suit stated that the mayor was able to vote on all matters except in matters of filling vacant seats, in accordance with state law.

Previous attempts to elect Rodriguez to the council had failed due to votes by Mayor Leonard Vasquez resulting in a 2-2 tie.

Before being sworn in, Rodriguez expressed his disappointment over the delay. "It sets the wrong precedent, it's the wrong move to make. I want to set the record straight; I should've been sitting there months ago and I expect to be sitting there."

Rolando Rodriguez will serve on the council for the remainder of this term before seeking re-election with the rest of the Taft City Council in November.

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