San Gabriel public raises alarms over Chinese‑language ballot translation and candidate titles; city attorney to review

Several members of San Gabriel’s Chinese‑language community used the public‑comment period to allege that a city council candidate, identified in testimony as George Herrera, used misleading titles on campaign literature and in a Chinese‑language translation of the candidate statement on the ballot.

Speakers directly told the council they believe the translated materials gave the impression the candidate was the city manager or a current council member, which community members said could mislead voters who rely on Chinese translations. Mary He said, "This is a lie," and offered to show a photo to corroborate her claim; other speakers described receiving translated mailers that used terms they said equate to "city manager" in Chinese.

Vice Mayor Menchaca asked the city attorney to research legal options and prepare a memo outlining what the city can do to protect voters and whether the city can or should issue a corrective notice. City Attorney Keith said the matter would be researched and a memorandum circulated to councilmembers; he said the firm would consult specialists in election law if needed and that staff could recommend whether a special meeting is required before the election.

No formal enforcement action or litigation was initiated at the meeting; the transcript records the allegation and the council's instruction to staff to investigate. The city attorney said staff would draft a memo quickly and then the council would decide whether to call a special meeting to consider further action.

Next steps: City Attorney to circulate a memo summarizing legal options and potential remedies; council to consider staff’s recommendation, including whether to convene a special meeting before election day.