Candidate calls on community to speak out against City Council

Local former Calexico City Council candidate Joong Kim wants the community to speak out against the council. He said City Hall is not respecting their vote.

“I have the third position. Support by the community. That’s your vote. Council wants to waste it. And you’ll fight.”

A council member is leaving for another office. Kim said he should take that seat since he was third place in the recent election. The first two candidates won seats.

“That’s correct. Logically that choice should come to me or come to the third person.”

Ben Horton, a Calexico resident, agreed with him.

“The people have voted. I may not like some of the results, but yet, I have to respect the results. Everything after number three is politics,” Horton said.

Council Member Bill Hodge said the council will accept applications when the seat becomes vacant in January.

“The city council will appoint someone. And they can appoint legally anyone that they feel is the most qualified,” Hodge said.

He said recent elections didn’t apply in determining who would be appointed for the seat.

“No hard rule saying that the third person, whoever was in line has to get the seat,” Hodge said.

Kim said the council can ignore him, and they can skip over him, but they can’t ignore the community.

“When you fight, I’m standing up front against them. When you standing up, I fight for the community’s benefit,” Kim said.