City Council voted Thursday to censure Councilwoman Ivalis Meza Gonzalez (D8), who is still fighting her July DWI arrest in court.
The move carries no real consequences, but the censure resolution publicly condemns her actions, noting that “by irresponsibly drinking and driving, she put the public at risk.”
It also noted that her pending criminal case has hindered council business.
Meza Gonzalez’s committee assignments have been temporarily suspended since body camera footage from the night was made public.
“I respect the vote that my colleagues took,” Meza Gonzalez told reporters afterwards. “We’ve had a lot of conversations. I’ve been really just fortunate to have colleagues like that, and so we’re on to continue the work of representing the residents of District 8.”
Meza Gonzalez initially insisted she wasn’t drinking the night of the arrest, even asking the arresting officer why the sobriety test was necessary.
On Wednesday, however, results of a police-ordered blood draw revealed her blood alcohol concentration was at or above 0.15 on the night of her arrest, and she now faces an elevated charge.
She has lawyered up to fight the case.
The censure resolution was approved with support from eight of her colleagues. Councilwoman Teri Castillo (D5) abstained from the vote, saying it was “the duty of District 8 residents” to hold Meza Gonzalez accountable. Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran (D3) was absent.
Meza Gonzalez was elected in a June runoff and has only served two months of a four-year term.
She had a previous DWI arrest before joining the council to represent District 8, in 2010, but was acquitted by a jury.
On Thursday her runoff opponent, Paula McGee, signed up to speak at the meeting, urging Meza Gonzalez to surrender her position “so that we’ll have council representatives we can rely upon.”
