"Exercising its power to censure members, the East Palo Alto City Council voted 3-2 Wednesday to sanction Councilmember Carlos Romero and remove him from regional board seats after it was determined he insulted a colleague last week, allegedly violating the city's code of ethics."
"The disciplinary action, rarely used by the council, strips Romero of his seats on several boards until June 2026, including San Mateo County's commute.org, Peninsula Clean Energy Joint Powers Committee, Re-Think Waste, and the San Mateo County Joint Powers Authority. The last time the council censured a member was in 2017, Mayor Martha Barragan said during Wednesday's meeting. She emphasized the need for professional conduct in regional representation."
"This ensures that the action in this chamber is not exported to regional partners, Barragan said. If I cannot rely on respectful conduct here, I cannot entrust representation elsewhere. Barragan, Vice Mayor Mark Dinan, and Councilmember Lincoln Webster voted in favor, while Councilmembers Ruben Abrica and Romero did not support the censure. The emphasis on decorum came in the context of a heated debate earlier this month over a major housing project, which quickly escalated into personal conflict."
East Palo Alto City Council voted 3-2 to censure Councilmember Carlos Romero and remove him from multiple regional boards through June 2026. The action strips Romero of positions on commute.org, Peninsula Clean Energy Joint Powers Committee, Re-Think Waste and the San Mateo County Joint Powers Authority. Mayor Martha Barragan said the censure preserves professional conduct in regional representation and noted the last censure occurred in 2017. The measure followed a heated debate over Sand Hill Property Company's 250-unit Four Corners project when Romero became visibly angry and insulted a colleague after a motion to close debate. The council approved the developer's request to replace mandated very low-income units with moderate- and low-income units despite staff opposition.
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