fresno county

Supervisors district 3 election creates opening in City Council and another race for voters

Thursday, June 9, 2016

County Board of Supervisors creates opening in City Council and another race for voters

The election of Fresno City Council member Sal Quintero to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors will create yet another race for voters to decide.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The election of Fresno City Council member Sal Quintero to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors will create yet another race for voters to decide.

Quintero has served as a member of the Fresno City Council for 14 years. Two terms, from 1995 to 2003. He was elected again in 2010 and 2014. With two years left in his last term he ran and won the seat for Fresno County Supervisor in Tuesdays primary. With 56-percent of the vote, there won't be a runoff, he will take office in January.

"Well we worked real hard, we were hoping to avoid a runoff and our intent was just to work real hard and see what the voters decided. And fortunately it fell in our favor," said Quintero.

The question is who will replace him on the City Council and when. His Assistant, Luis Chavez, told Action News he is considering seeking the seat. Another potential candidate is Jose Leon Baraza, director of the Southeast Fresno Community Development Association. He's sought the seat before.

Under the city charter, a special election must be held to fill the seat. The City Council could make it in conjunction with the November election at no cost. Or, according to the city attorney, the council could wait until Quintero leaves office, and call a special election within 90 days, appoint a temporary council member and drag the process into the next year and make the taxpayers foot the bill for the special vote.

However the city decides to replace him, Quintero said he's ready to get to work on county problems.

"You know, the streets crumbling and that type of thing, public works type of issues."

Now, by taking another job in mid-term Quintero creates a chain reaction.

If Quinteros assistant Luis Chavez goes for it, he will not seek re-election to his school board seat. His current term ends at the end of the year. His school board seat will then be up for grabs in the November election. The filing deadline to run for that is in August.