To serve and protect Sergio Robles' drunk driving arrest - Elk Grove City Council censure officially off the table
Based on responses from members of the Elk Grove City Council and the city's censure rules, admitted drunk driver and Elk Grove City Councilmember Sergio Robles has evaded accountability.
Yesterday Elk Grove Mayor Bobbies Singh-Allen, Vice Mayor Kevin Spease, and council members Rod Brewer and Darren Suen were asked via email if they would pursue a censure. The censure rules allow the procedure to be initiated by two city council members outside of a public meeting and not within the scope of the Brown Act.
During the Wednesday, May 24, city council meeting, none of the four council members eligible to initiate the procedure indicated support. Not surprisingly, Singh-Allen and Brewer did not respond to the inquiry.
However, Spsase and Suen responded. Both said they opposed censure.
Spease said, "I will not be pursuing censure." In typical fashion, Suen did not answer the question and instead said, "I am very disappointed in his choice but support his willingness to do better." During Wednesday's meeting, Robles said he would behave better but did not say he would modify his well-documented alcohol consumption.
According to the censure rules, a majority of four council members eligible to vote, meaning three out of four, is required to issue the censure. Given Brewer and Singh Allen's avoidance of the issue, and more significantly, Suen and Spease's censure opposition, Robles will evade accountability by his peers because there are not enough votes to support an action even if it was initiated.
However, Robles will still be held to account by the Sacramento County District Attorney.
The Elk Grove City Council's decision to shield Sergio Robles' objectionable, dangerous, and illegal behavior shows an absence of integrity.
5 comments
Ok, let me get this straight. The mayor initiated the censure policy to attack her campaign nemesis due his use of objectionable but "legal" statements and all the council agreed to approve.
The mayor and council approved language in the ordinance that if a council member "has violated the law, regulation, City policy, the Code of Ethics, or has engaged in another misconduct while serving as a City of Elk Grove Council Member" he or she is subject to a formal determination in the form of a censure.
Now, a councilman admittedly has broken the law by driving under the influence, mind you less than a month after an EG motor cop was honored for giving his life trying to apprehend a DUI suspect. This motor cop worked closely with the councilmember's predecessor's husband (also an EG motor cop) and yet our council refuses to take steps to censure this action?
A censure doesn't remove this man from the council, dock his pay, suspend him, it's simply and acknowledgement by the council that his actions are "disapproved" by the council. Yet they take no action, but instead offer support. What a bunch of hypocrites! They all lack integrity in their failure to stand up for the safety of their constituents over support of a buddy.
I agree, they are all hypocrites. We have not had quality council members in a long time, if ever. But remember, there are no job qualifications to be a politician. Even a rodeo clown must have some skills.
What a pitiful group, the Elk Grove City Council. They should be ashamed of themselves. I can't believe I have supported some of them in the past.
Interesting that the city of Elk Grove won't release the body cam video of Robles' arrest. Didn't Robles say it was "pleasant?" Word on the street says otherwise.
Is the city of Elk Grove now involved in a cover-up? If Robles' arrest was "pleasant," why hide it?
Yes, not censuring Robles puts an ugly look on this council, esp when Robles took the place of Assemblyperson Nguyen, who’s husband was an EGPD motor officer who partnered with the officer killed by a DUI driver. Talk about double standards! Perhaps the council is awaiting adjudication of Robles’ case. Let’s hope that’s the case.
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