Soledad power couple resigns from their public offices on City Council and Hartnell College board.

Alejandro Chavez, a member of Soledad City Council, and Erica Padilla-Chavez, Hartnell College’s trustee for Area 6, have each resigned from their elected positions to move out of the county. Padilla-Chavez shared a statement announcing their resignations on Oct. 18. 

“Soledad will always have a special place in our hearts. We thank our friends for all the wonderful memories. We will end our roles as public servants at the end of the month as we make our way to be closer to family," Padilla-Chavez said.

Neither Chavez nor Padilla-Chaves returned messages asking for comment.

Chavez has served on the Soledad City Council since 2010. He has been a member of the city's parks & recreation and budget committees, and the city's representative to the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC). While Chavez served on council, Soledad opened its first inclusive park and got a new movie theater along, with retail opportunities. 

Padilla-Chavez has been a Hartnell trustee since 2009. While on the board, Hartnell College opened a campus in Soledad and recently expanding technical education in the city. 

The couple has lived in Soledad for 21 years, and their last day as public officials is Oct. 31. 

Their terms were both set to end in 2026. The City of Soledad and Hartnell College will each have options to fill their vacant positions by appointment or special election. 

Padilla-Chavez is the CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County. Chavez served previously as the chief of staff to former county supervisor Fernando Armenta, and now runs the Salinas United Business Association. Chavez ran for the position of county supervisor for District 3 in 2018, and lost to Supervisor Chris Lopez.