District 4 Banning City Councilmember Reuben Gonzales resigned at the start of Tuesday’s council meeting after rumors surfaced that he was no longer living in the district he served, according to a city news release.
“Over the last couple of years, my family has doubled in size,” Gonzales said. “And, just recently over the last few months, my family and I were notified by our landlord that the home we had been living in was being sold and we had roughly 60 days to vacate.”
Gonzales said that it was never his intent to “mislead the constituents in my district nor my fellow council members,” and that he had been actively trying to find housing for his family within the boundaries of District 4.
Stay up to date with the latest from The Record.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter today!
City Manager Doug Schulze said since Gonzales was proactively looking for housing within the district, he could remain on the council while continuing that search. However, Gonzales said he had been unable to locate suitable housing in the district and very recently decided to stop looking.
“While serving the constituents of my district, I have continued to look for a home for my family, but I’ve been unable to do so, and, in the process, my wife and kids have come to love where we are now living, and next to my faith in God, they are my priority,” Gonzales said. “With no immediate move in sight, and after much prayer, I have come to the realization that it’s in the best interest of the constituents of my district that I step down from my city council position.”
Gonzales said he was “nowhere near done” serving the city, but that the right thing to do at this time was to step down. The council will now be tasked with filling the vacant seat.
A video of the meeting can be found here on the city’s website.
The Riverside Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news outlet providing Riverside County with high-quality journalism free of charge. We’re able to do this because of the generous donations of supporters like you!