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Board cites unapproved 'Caballeros' expenses, documents show $3,392.32 in questioned charges
Summary
Trustees presented receipts and public‑records materials alleging Trustee Padilla used district credit cards for an unapproved 2023 event; presenter said total questioned charges equal $3,392.32 and that 22 receipts were missing on one list.
Trustees at the Oct. 8 special meeting presented a packet of travel receipts, credit‑card statements and lost‑receipt affidavits that they said document repeated failures by Trustee Ricardo Padilla to provide itemized receipts and instances of unapproved spending tied to a 2023 "Caballeros" leadership event.
Board President Florencio Briones walked the board through multiple slides showing highlighted card charges, examples of missing receipts and line items from vendors including Sam’s Club, a downtown clothing store (ties), a florist and food vendors. On one slide, the presenter said missing‑receipt affidavits dated back to 2018; another slide listed 22 missing receipts totaling $722. A different slide flagged $2,670.32 in charges for the November 18, 2023 Caballeros event; the presenter summarized a total of $3,392.32 identified as misappropriated related to events and purchases that had not been board approved.
Padilla disputed the claim that purchases were personal and said the items — food, centerpieces and ties — were for students at the Caballeros leadership seminar. "You wanna know what I bought at Sam's? I bought oranges. I bought bananas. I bought muffins... 200 students got a tie," Padilla said, identifying the expenditures as event‑related.
Trustees who voted for the censure said failure to follow the district’s travel and conference procedures and repeated missing receipts showed a breach of fiduciary duty regardless of intent. The board directed staff to cancel Padilla’s credit‑card privileges and to condition any future reimbursements on full compliance with district policy; it also directed legal counsel to refer the matter to law enforcement.
