Residents mount a recall effort against Salinas Councilmember José Luis Barajas.

Salinas resident Daniel Muñoz, also known by his rapper name Cal Paradox, has started the process of seeking to recall his District 1 representative of City Council, José Luis Barajas.

Barajas was served, informing him about the intention to recall him, on Friday, Feb. 20. Muñoz followed up by filing a notice of intention with the city clerk on Monday, Feb. 23. The clerk's office is reviewing signatures on the notice; to proceed with a recall petition, at least 30 signatures must be verified as registered voters who reside in District 1. (There are 40 signatures on the notice, including that of former District 1 councilmember Carla Viviana Gonzalez.)

Muñoz must also publish the notice in a general circulation newspaper. (It is set to appear in the Feb. 26 edition of Monterey County Weekly.)

In the notice, the signatories write: “We, the undersigned voters of District 1, seek the recall of Councilmember José Luis Barajas because we believe he has failed to represent the people who elected him. His voting record and conduct reflect priorities that do not align with the needs of our community."

Barajas responded in a statement, "I have faithfully voted to represent the will of the majority of District 1. Recalls are extreme measures and should only be used when an elected official has either broken the law or violated the trust of their constituents. That is clearly not the case here. I am confident that the people of my district will rally around me to reject this spiteful effort to undermine the choice of the voters of my district."

Barajas was elected in 2024. Muñoz says he is motivated largely by Barajas' actions to overturn Salinas' suite of renter protection ordinances, including rent stabilization capping annual increases at 2.75 percent. 

“When he did that, I took it personally,” Muñoz says, adding he has come across “slumlords” and rented a unit infested with roaches and rats and a landlord who didn’t fix any of the issues. 

After the council voted 5-2 to repeal these ordinances, Protect Salinas Renters launched a successful signature-gathering campaign to reverse the repeal. Now, voters will decide in November whether to keep or reject the rent stabilization and tenant protection ordinances. 

Barajas voted to repeal those earlier initiatives but also voted in favor of a rental assistance program and a mortgage assistance program, both as alternatives to address the city's housing crisis.

If the notice of intention is approved as compliant, recall proponents will have to prepare a recall petition and collect signatures based on the number of registered voters in District 1.

(As of the most recently published report on Jan. 14, there are 9,797 registered voters; if there are fewer than 10,000 registered voters when the process begins, the group will need to gather at least 25 percent of the number of registered voters' signatures. If it exceeds 10,000, it will be at least 20 percent of the number of registered voters.) 

Salinas City Clerk Patricia Barajas (no relation) says she is reviewing the notice of intention, and expects to have a response about completeness ready for Muñoz by the end of the day Tuesday, Feb. 24.

“I will review it and also work closely with the county to ensure the elections code has been met and has the required number of signatures,” Patricia Barajas says. "My goal is to get a response to them by the end of the day today."