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Downtown San Jose residents are launching a recall campaign against Councilmember Omar Torres, claiming they no longer feel represented by him as he continues to evade the public eye amid a police probe into alleged child sex abuse.
Torres, who represents the downtown neighborhoods of District 3, has maintained his innocence despite dodging his council responsibilities and missing multiple meetings after police filings showed he exchanged lewd text messages about minors. Now, residents want him out and are taking action through a recall campaign since he hasn't heeded calls from his colleagues to resign.
Neighborhood leaders are officially announcing the recall later this morning at a news conference outside San Jose City Hall, held by downtown business owners and Matthew Quevedo, Mayor Matt Mahan's deputy chief of staff.
"Since Omar Torres was elected by the people, and considering he has ignored our calls to resign, we are launching an effort to remove him from office so that we can once again have a councilmember fit to make decisions for the families and working people who call our vibrant and diverse downtown core home," reads a news release about the recall.
It comes as Torres requested council approval for a 30-day leave of absence that would allow him to keep skipping meetings without being removed from his seat under the charter. Councilmembers have declined to consider Torres' request at their next Oct. 29 meeting.
He's already missed two council meetings since the scandal first went public earlier this month, drawing criticism from Mahan who accused Torres of holding his council seat "hostage." Yet Mahan and a majority of the San Jose City Council agreed to excuse Torres' absence from one of those meetings -- enraging members of the public and even some City Hall workers.
San Jose Councilmember Bien Doan on Thursday said he intends to begin proceedings to remove Torres under the city charter.
Doan said the Torres scandal is shedding light on needed changes to the city charter -- including the creation of a mandatory administrative leave policy if a councilmember faces a felony criminal investigation.
"I am researching every avenue possible to begin proceedings to remove Councilmember Torres from office as I am empowered to do under our city charter," Doan told San José Spotlight.