A decision to censure a Salinas City Councilmember gets delayed.

Celia Jiménez here, wondering if I had the right date when checking for an agenda item many people, including me, were expecting to be discussed at tomorrow's Salinas City Council meeting: Councilmember Andrew Sandoval’s censure. 

When I looked at the agenda today, it was nowhere to be found. I texted Sandoval about it. His answer: “No date yet.”

On social media, one of his favorite platforms to share his take on city matters, Sandoval issued a lengthier response on Sunday, Dec. 7. He thanked his supporters for their “overwhelmingly positive comments,” he said on video.

Sandoval also added he wouldn’t change his action plan. “I won’t stop speaking truth. I won’t stop speaking on social media and I won’t be scared into not sharing what’s really going on in our city,” he said. 

The censure decision was postponed to a later date after Sandoval’s attorney Chad Morgan requested additional time, citing a precedent where a previous Salinas councilmember received a two-week notice.

Sandoval is a watchdog-turned-politician. To some, he is a bully; to others, he’s an assertive politician asking the right questions.

He has submitted various California Public Records Act requests, some geared toward fellow council members, has filed complaints with the Fair Political Practices Commission, and has asked the District Attorney to investigate alleged wrongdoing. 

Sandoval is also active on social media, sharing upcoming events (usually innocuous), posting clips from previous council meetings and sometimes adding commentary mocking other councilmembers.

Councilmember Jose Luis Barajas raised concerns with Sandoval’s actions on Oct. 28. “We all know that disagreement is part of democracy. But what we’ve seen from you has repeatedly crossed the line from disagreement to dysfunction. Your actions have built a pattern—one of hostility, of unnecessary conflict and of personal attacks that have extended far beyond healthy disagreement,” Barajas said, putting forth a request for the censure.

At the council’s Dec. 2 meeting, several people spoke against censuring Sandoval, including Karen Cameron. 

“I find it rather ironic and ludicrous that we had to ignore over 150 posts from our president last night,” she said. “If we can ignore that, you can ignore [Sandoval’s posts], and I'd encourage you to ignore all the social media and just get to the task of business for the city.”

In an earlier interview, Sandoval told Weekly Editor Sara Rubin that he has an aggressive approach and he is focused on the present. “People say, think about the long game. I need to accomplish what I can [now], not push it to a further time,” Sandoval said.

While the action to censure Sandoval is postponed, I wonder if there is room for all councilmembers to reach consensus on how to approach each other despite their differences. You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.