On Monday the Chula Vista City Council will hold a special meeting where councilmembers could potentially decide to pick a replacement for now-former city councilmember Andrea Cardenas in District 4. It's been nearly a week since Cardenas resigned from her seat, amid several felony charges related to fraud.
"It will not be a special election, and we will go through the process and hopefully be able to give our best efforts of appointing somebody," said Chula Vista Mayor John McCann.
McCann said he is leaving the decision up to the city council on whether they will choose someone to fill the remainder of Cardenas' term, or leave the seat vacant until November.
The council must first declare Cardenas' seat vacant. They have 45 days — starting from the date she resigned, Feb. 19 — to appoint someone to replace her. Cardenas represented the city's 4th Council District, which covers San Diego County's second-largest city's Southwestern quadrant.
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Cardenas sent a memo to colleagues last week announcing her decision.
"In an effort to prioritize my mental health, and the health of my community, I have made the very difficult choice to formally resign effective immediately from my position as Councilmember for our City's 4th District," she wrote. "It has been an honor and privilege to serve my community and work alongside all of you."
Regardless of what city councilmembers decide, some people who live in Chula Vista told NBC 7 that they're hoping for change.
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"In addition to finding somebody who obviously is a better candidate, someone who is honest and who will put the community first. I hope that there is some change in the process at least, to make sure things like this don't happen again," said Ryan Shivers, a Chula Vista native.
Cardenas and her brother Jesus Cardenas are facing numerous felony charges relating to allegations stemming from their political consulting business.
The initial charges filed last year stem from allegations that the siblings fraudulently obtained a $176,227 Paycheck Protection Program loan in early 2021 intended for their firm, Grassroots Resources, then used the funds on personal expenses, including a $33,500 check to Andrea Cardenas' Chula Vista City Council campaign account.
In court last Tuesday, Cardenas learned of another charge alleging that both she and her brother filed for unemployment in 2020, despite both of them still working at the time.
The siblings have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
"Let the law do its job and if they need to be punished, they need to be punished, you know what I mean? said Jaime Partida, a Chula Vista native.
The other issue is that Cardenas is still one of six candidates on the March primary ballot for the next term, and there's a possibility she could make the top two. Mayor McCann told NBC 7 his team is working on a possible solution, which could include Cardenas dropping out of the race altogether. However, that is yet to be determined.
Cardenas is scheduled to appear back in court in March. If convicted on all eight felonies, she faces six years behind bars.
The Chula Vista City Council meeting gets underway at 5 p.m. on Monday at Chula Vista City Hall, and is open to the public. If the city council does not choose someone to fill the District 4 seat, councilmembers will have 45 days to make a decision.
