Recall Effort Against Gilroy Councilmember Begins: Report

GILROY, CA — An effort to recall Gilroy councilmember Rebeca Armendariz began last week after she was cited in connection with an incident at a Halloween party she hosted last year where one person was killed and three others injured in a shooting.

The Gilroy Dispatch reported that a group of residents have begun the process of forming a recall effort against Armendariz, who has not commented publicly since the citations were handed down last week. She has also not responded to a request for comment from Patch.

The recall process in Gilroy requires signatures from 20 percent of registered voters to set up a recall election.

“We all feel that it was a sad circumstance, but it was due to her poor decision-making,” Nan Hawkins, a Gilroy resident and one of the organizers of the recall effort, said to the Dispatch. “If that’s how she is in her personal life, we can’t expect much more from her in her professional life.”

Related: Gilroy Councilmember Cited In Connection With Halloween Party Shooting

An independent investigation found that Armendariz violated the city's host ordinance. Armendariz was issued 10 citations by the city in connection with the violations, while three others received four citations each, according to the report released last Monday.

On Oct. 30 around 12:55 a.m., police received a 911 call of a shooting on the 400 block of Los Animas Avenue in Gilroy. After arriving at the large outdoor party, officers learned that an altercation had escalated into a shooting at the gathering.

An investigation commissioned by the city found that Armendariz also violated the city's Special Event Permits Requirement and her conduct involved the unauthorized use of the city's assets. Armendariz, along with her son and nephew, organized and planned the event, the investigation found.

The party involved underage drinking and public drunkenness, according to the report.

In a separate editorial, the Dispatch called for Armendariz to resign to "save Gilroy citizens the expense and trauma of a recall election."

Armendariz was elected to the council in 2020.