Hollister City Council members lashed out at each other during a June 11 meeting after Councilwoman Honor Spencer announced she went $522 over her budget on a trip to Washington, D.C., for a National League of Cities conference. Spencer said she refunded the overage to the city.
While she received support from Councilwoman Carol Lenoir, Mayor Ignacio Velazquez and Councilman Rolan Resendiz said they were not aware she was taking the trip. They asked who authorized her to attend and why she did not report back.
Resendiz ordered staff to itemize the details of Spencer’s expenditures that took her over budget. Velazquez said the city has a travel policy to avoid members taking unnecessary trips and asked the council to revise it.
According to the City Council protocols, council members are required to issue reports after they attend conferences at the next regularly scheduled council meeting. Among the authorized events include League of California Cities meetings, committee assignments, educational conferences, local civic meetings and meetings in which the mayor or city manager sends someone to represent the city. All other events require approval by the City Council.
Spencer said because she returned on March 12 and the city was focused on dealing with COVID-19, she did not have a chance to report to the council on what she gained from the conference. She also said all council members were notified of the conference by email and her request to attend was approved.
“I went, I enjoyed it. It gave me a lot of information to help our community and our city and our county,” Spencer said. “I didn’t go to have fun. I didn’t go to play. I went to learn, which is exactly what I did.”
Lenoir spoke in support of Spencer and said she was aware of the conference and that Spencer did provide a brief report.
“I think that you are just being picky because it’s Honor [Spencer],” Lenoir said. “So she acknowledged she did it, she rectified it and said that it won’t happen again. Case closed for me.”
But Velazquez said the City Council cannot say the case is closed because “it’s a friend or whatever reason.” Resendiz then voiced concern that the reimbursement was not reflected in the meeting agenda packet and questioned the timing of Spencer’s disclosure.
“I do now recall that you did take a trip,” Resendiz said. “You did come back and tell us about your trip in your informational report. Before COVID there has been plenty of other chances and I do have to say that it’s not just simply a ‘case closed.’”
Resendiz added he did not have a problem with trips within the state as long as they benefit the city and that council members need to report about their conferences.
The focus then shifted to Resendiz’ LGBTQ leader summit in Sacramento following public comment, during which resident Elia Salinas said she was surprised Resendiz was upset about Spencer’s trip because though the event was canceled due to COVID-19, he went over budget and chose to stay the night at a hotel.
“It was on us and you should’ve come back that night and you should’ve had the city clerk take care of getting reimbursement for that conference and for the hotel room,” Salinas said.
Resendiz later responded that his conference was within the state and that when he contacted city staff he was informed the policy allows council members to stay one night if a convention is canceled. He also said he refunded the city the $76 he went over budget.
Though the council tried to move on to discuss the budget, talk circled back to Spencer’s trip to Washington, D.C., after Spencer and Lenoir recommended cutting the council’s insurance and conference expenses.
“We can make sure we cut travel so people cannot travel out of state,” Velazquez said. Spencer and Lenoir said they agreed with his comment.
Interim City Manager Brett Miller tried to intervene by suggesting the council agendize those discussions at a later meeting, in an effort to ensure the city has its budget approved by June 30, but Resendiz resumed the discussion about Spencer’s trip.
“So you are not going to be able to take your trips to Washington with your friends, it’s what you’re proposing?” Resendiz asked.
Spencer demanded the mayor reprimand Resendiz for his accusation of her traveling with a friend. Velazquez instead focused on why training expenses cannot be cut. He said new council members need to attend training and suggested allowing city management to figure out some recommendations so no one group is specifically punished.
BenitoLink is a nonprofit news website that reports on San Benito County. Our team is working around the clock during this time when accurate information is essential. It is expensive to produce local news and community support is what keeps the news flowing. Please consider supporting BenitoLink, San Benito County’s news.