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Resident alleges conflicts and questions animal shelter dismissal during Selma City Council public comment
Summary
At a Jan. 24 special meeting, resident Blanca Mendoza Navarro accused city officials of conflicts of interest related to a recent animal shelter case and said the district attorney had flagged procedural deficiencies at prior meetings; the council then recessed into closed session on public employment.
Blanca Mendoza Navarro, a Selma resident, used the public-comment period of the Selma City Council’s Jan. 24 special meeting to raise allegations about conflicts of interest involving the city attorney, question a recent request to dismiss an animal shelter case and say the Fresno County district attorney had notified the city that procedural remedies were not satisfied at recent meetings.
Navarro said the district attorney’s office “did send out 2 letters, stating that the procedural remedies were not satisfied at both of the last meetings,” and added that as of Jan. 21 those remedies still were not satisfied. She also questioned the city attorney’s role in seeking a dismissal for the animal shelter case, saying the attorney had previously sought an extension while representing the shelter and then filed to dismiss the matter after becoming city attorney. “I'm not sure, but, if I recall, you cannot serve both sides of the, of the law,” Navarro said.
Navarro accused elected officials of inconsistent demands for transparency, saying council members had pressed city staff for invoices and records while, in her view, appearing reluctant to review the animal shelter's records. She also referenced a 2020 lawsuit related to election results and the Fresno County Elections Office, saying the same attorney had represented a council member in that case.
Navarro raised other items during her remarks, including local priorities such as downtown lighting and a general call to help communities affected by recent large wildfires in Southern California. She told the council, “You have 2 employees, the city manager and the city attorney,” an assertion presented during her public comments and not confirmed during the meeting.
Mayor Robertson and council members acknowledged the comment period but did not take immediate public action on the allegations. Following public comments, the council recessed into a closed session described by the city clerk as being “for the purpose of the closed session…public employment pursuant to government code section 54957. The title is all position, all departments.” The council did not announce any public decision about Navarro’s allegations before recessing.
The statements Navarro made during public comment are allegations and were presented as such; the council did not provide on-the-record responses or findings at the meeting.
Navarro's remarks came at the start of a short special meeting convened at 3 p.m. at Selma City Hall. After public comment the council moved into closed session and asked virtual attendees to log off.
