Salinas councilmembers publicly call for censure proceedings after heated remarks about Councilmember Sandoval

At the Oct. 28 Salinas City Council meeting, Councilmember Jose Barajas delivered an extended set of remarks accusing Councilmember Andrew Sandoval of conduct that he said crosses the line from disagreement into harassment and dysfunction.

Barajas said Sandoval's pattern of social-media posts, repeated Fair Political Practices Commission filings and alleged intimidation of private citizens have damaged relationships with regional partners and diverted staff resources. He argued that the behavior erodes public trust and harms the city's ability to secure regional funding.

Councilmember Margaret de Arrigo and others described the conduct as bullying and asked the city attorney how to proceed under the council's rules of decorum. De Arrigo asked for a formal censure to be considered and had support from at least one colleague. Several councilmembers recounted personal impacts, called for professional standards, and urged that the council continue focusing on policy items like homelessness and housing.

Councilmember Andrew Sandoval acknowledged lapses in attendance at a TAMC rail policy committee meeting and apologized to agency staff for any hardship caused by his missings; he did not offer a detailed rebuttal during the meeting. Mayor Donahue said the censure request would be an opportunity for a formal response and adjourned the meeting.

No formal censure was voted on at the Oct. 28 session; councilmembers said the issue would be scheduled for the appropriate process under council rules.