Chula Vista Councilwoman Jill Galvez’s decision to eliminate the position of the senior council aide in her office, a job currently held by Robert Moreno, could end up being a costly one.
Galvez announced her decision on May 21, during a 2019-20 budget discussion, and received negative public feedback during a subsequent council meeting on June 4.
Now Galvez may be facing legal ramifications as Dan Gilleon, an attorney representing Moreno, considers filing a tort claim in response to the public layoff.
Gilleon said the claim has to do with the reason behind Moreno being let go, which he alleged is for a political purpose, and while he is still researching the case, he hopes to file the claim before Moreno’s last day of work on July 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year.
Under California law, before an individual can sue a public entity they must first file a claim, within a legally specified time period, which meets the requirements of the California Tort Claims Act.
Galvez said she was “surprised” by Moreno’s decision to retain counsel, but maintained that she had done nothing wrong.
“I can’t imagine what a case against me might be,” she said.
Galvez, who wrote in a letter to the public on June 6 that Moreno had previously agreed with the councilwoman that she could function without an aide, said she had discussed different employment possibilities with Moreno but had gotten little response.
“We talked about many different jobs and opportunities that were available in the city and he said that he wasn’t interested in any of them,” Galvez said.
Moreno was given an opportunity to comment on what Galvez wrote in the public letter, but deferred all questions to his attorney.
Galvez had unsuccessfully pitched the idea of cutting city council member staff during a budget meeting on May 7, and has maintained that she is looking for any way to gain funds to help alleviate the city’s financial deficit and hire more public safety officers.
“I’m committed to look under every rock to save money for the city, and to support our employees and to serve the public, and I will continue to operate without a council aide as a symbol of that commitment,” she said on June 5, a day after facing public scorn.
Moreno, who was in attendance when it was announced he was being let go, said on May 22 that Galvez had previously spoken with him about the possibility his position would be eliminated, but that he wasn’t prepared for the meeting to go the way it did.
“It’s politics when it comes down to it,” Moreno said at the time. “Politics is a dirty game and unfortunately I got played.”
Galvez also received a flurry of negative public feedback after she suggested, during the same meeting on May 21, that the city eliminate the position of cultural arts manager, held by Lynnette Tessitore.
Galvez, the eventual lone-vote against the passed 2019-20 budget, argued that the position could be absorbed by others, and that the subsequent money saved could go toward hiring more peace officers.
In addition to the public anger that followed, paperwork was filed by public labor union SEIU 221, which represents Tessitore, to establish a committee to recall the embattled overseer of District 2.
Following the vote to accept the budget on June 4, SEIU 221 President David Garcias released this statement:
“We were pleased that the council approved a common-sense budget that avoided unnecessary staff cuts, but we were disappointed that Council member Galvez voted against it. We will continue to work with all employee unions, the mayor and the City Council to move the city forward and reject the false choice between supporting city employees and providing services to the community.”
Later that day, Galvez said time dedicated to a recall would be better spent working together to figure out a way to fix the city’s financial issues, which include a structural deficit of around $6 million.
“I certainly think that there’s a more productive use of time, and that is to work together on solutions to our budget problems in the foreseeable future,” Galvez said.
In her letter to the public, Galvez also defended herself against accusations that she was against having art programs in the city, while reiterating her desire for increased public safety staffing.
“Dear Neighbors, There has been a lot of hostility playing out on social media, and for this I am deeply saddened and sorry. Let me begin by saying that my recommendations and actions were not intended to be personal and I hope we can work together for real solutions in a public and meaningful way,” Galvez wrote.
The letter went on to describe the different ways that Galvez has supported arts and culture over the years, including, among other things, her time spent on the board of the San Diego Junior Theater, and how she helped bring performances and events to venues such as Rosebank Elementary and the Memorial Bowl.
