Brawley City Council member Gil Rebollar won’t seek reelection

BRAWLEY, Calif. (KYMA) - Brawley City Council member and former Mayor Gil Rebollar announced he will not be seeking re-election this November.

After eight years of public service, Rebollar said he wants to step away from politics to spend more time with his family.

"You know, it's pretty common for people I grew up with at this time to see how we want to best use our energy, and I think we're all kind of figuring out at the same time we want to use it with our family," Rebollar said.

For him, the decision came into focus wile watching his daughter finish middle school.

"It hit me when her eighth grade promotion when it's like four more years and she's possibly going away," he reflected.

Rebollar remembers his own teenage years as a period filled with distractions.

"High school for me was a crazy time where there's a lot of distractions," he said.

He now wants to be there for his daughter saying, "I just want to make sure, her being my daughter, that I'm there for her throughout."

The decision wasn't a sudden one, as Rebollar shared that he had been discussing it with his family.

He said he's not disappearing completely from the public eye, just from the council, and he will continue to advocate for more drug and alcohol treatment options.

"I've advocated even before I was on the council, I was advocating for more treatment and services, so I will continue," he said. "I think that's something needed throughout the valley. And I hope it can continue and remain in Brawley, that investment," he added. He noted it is out of the City Council's hands at this point.

When asked about his accomplishments while in office, he pointed to the renovation of the Lions Center Pool.

"Getting the pool open...that was a big one," Rebollar said.

He said he also likes to remember the everyday interactions with residents and work in the community.

"I always felt like the little things are what helped. I got the most from just going downtown," he said.

He also reflected on his time serving on the school board.

"I think in many ways, a school board is probably more important than a City Council," he shared.

Despite the increasingly heated nature of politic, rebollar said the criticism never really bothered him.

"I don't mind. I don't mind that," he said.

Looking at the current political landscape, he said, "I think we are divided. I think it's unfortunate right now. I think there's a lot of division."

"I'm not a career politician," he explained, adding that he intends to take up writing again.

Asked if he has any final words, he said, " It's been a great run and a great ride, and I appreciate everything."

Although his decision leaves a second seat open on the City Council, only two candidates have qualified, so the city is going to hold a special meeting to decide if they will just appoint those two candidates rather than hold an election on November 3.