MABTON, Wash.- At the June 25 Mabton City Council meeting, five council members voted for Mayor Rachel Ruelas to resign as mayor, with citizens saying if she didn’t, they would recall her.
The mayor refused and on Wednesday, the recall has been sent to the auditor, according to Mabton citizens.
“If you decide not to resign, which is your choice, I myself will take it into my own hands to get a petition to remove you from your chair,” said Mabton’s Ruben Olivarez to Mayor Ruelas at the meeting. “Because right now, this town, everything is out of control.”
Olivarez, angry community members and council members called Ruelas out for “incompetence and violation of her oath of office.”
“I’m not resigning,” responded Ruelas to the council’s motion.
Councilmember Sophia Sotelo and Mayor Pro-Tem Vera Zavala claim Ruelas has been in charge of the city’s budget and meeting agendas but have not received either in months.
“If we sit here like a dummy and there’s a motion and vote, we just sit here and say nothing, we just voted yes,” said Zavala. “It’s just a little thing, you know? But it can really be a lot.”
One councilmember stood against the claims aimed at Ruelas, Diana Casteneda, the mayor’s mother.
“I am disappointed in some of you people that are here for this meeting,” said Casteneda before naming some of the vocal participants. “You guys wanted a mayor. Why didn’t you guys run for mayor? Why didn’t you run? Nobody wanted you.”
Voices were raised following the comment with Sotelo interjecting with “We’re not here to scold the citizens.”
“Diana, I did want a mayor,” said Zavala. “But you don’t know what you’re going to get until you get it.”
Former Mabton Mayor Velva Herrera spoke up and questioned the council on why they were letting Ruelas control the city in this way. She reminded them that in the city, the title is “council-mayor” rather than “mayor-council.”
Zavala emphasized her point, picking up a sign reading “Council Chambers belongs to council.”
Mayor Ruelas told the Council Chambers there was no requirement for her to step down after the vote, and raced out of the room before any questions could be asked.
In the conversations immediately following her exit, Olivarez, who confirmed to NonStop Local the recall has been filed, and other continued to argue with Castaneda.
“If you don’t resign, this city is the laughing stock of the state of Washington,” said Olivarez.
