People in San Jose’s District 3 want to hold an election to choose a new councilmember to replace Omar Torres. The man who used to be on the San Jose city council quit recently after being arrested last week on three counts of sexual attack by force. People who live in the area say they are having a lot of problems.
Chief of Staff for the district, Kiara Kassandra, said Monday night that she wants to reassure people that the office will still be open. She said, “We’re still working for the community and taking calls and emails.”
Since Torres was arrested on Nov. 5 for a different crime, the District 3 slot has been empty at the last few City Council meetings. He has been under investigation for a few weeks. Three counts of felony child molesting were brought against him.
Kassandra says that six people work for the district and are supervised by Mayor Matt Mahan and his office in San Jose.
“Our goal stays the same: to help the community, our District 3 residents, our small businesses, and make sure downtown does well,” she said.
Luis Mendoza runs a small business and has had his food truck, Mr. Shrimp, on 13th Street for two years now. He says that in those two years, they’ve had a lot of problems. “We’ve had break-ins, fights, people being homeless, and a lot of other things,” he said.
Mendoza also said that he sees a lot of car crashes on 13th and Mission streets. Without an election, he wants them to be able to pick their own next representative instead of having the city do it. He said, “I hope they add a few more lights and maybe a speed bump, light, and stop sign in the corner.”
Two memos this week are being looked over by the rules committee. They are both about how to fill the District 3 spot. The City Council could talk about it on November 19 if the papers pass the rules committee.
