WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The West Sacramento City Council approved renaming the Tower Bridge Gateway last month after the city’s former mayor, Christopher Cabaldon.
Cabaldon was the city's first elected mayor who served just over two decades on the city council before losing re-election to current mayor Martha Guerrero back in 2020.
However, some members of the community were not only against the decision, but went as far as claiming the council may have infringed on the right for the people to have the their voices be heard.
The Broderick and Bryte Neighborhood Association has been vocal in their opposition to renaming this street – currently the Tower Bridge Gateway – as Christopher L. Cabaldon Parkway.
"They're supposed to be representatives of the people, and we are the people," said Broderick & Bryte Neighborhood Association Organizer, Alfred Melbourne. "When we say something, they should be listening to us."
Broderick & Bryte members in West Sacramento filed a Brown Act Violation complaint against the city council on Nov. 18, just two days after the council voted to approve the street renaming.
However, city leaders defended the street renaming process despite hearing opposition from public commenters during the meeting.
"I'm sorry, but Christopher Cabaldon does not represent all of the community," said Rhonda Pope Flores, Broderick & Bryte Neighborhood Association Member. "The north side, there are a lot of things that weren't done, and we don't feel that he deserves a street named after him – maybe something else."
Before the city council's vote, neighbors on Facebook came up with alternatives.
"I'd like to see the First Nations People's honored," Melbourne wrote in a Facebook.
Someone suggested naming the street after Fidel Martinez, a former mayor who died in 2020, saying he "was such a compassionate individual and he loved his community."
Several community members showed up to voice their opposition at the Nov. 16 city council meeting where councilmembers were set to vote on the renaming, but they say they don't feel the council heard their voices, and the renaming passed.
"They are making decisions by themselves, for the good of some people in the community, but they are not taking the rest of the community into account," said Maria Garcia, Broderick & Bryte Neighborhood Association Member.
Councilmember Norma Alcala was the only one who voted against the resolution, saying she believe community input is important when making these decisions and there wasn't enough.
"Public input is really important in something so major because it is a large intersection there and regardless of who it was named after, I think it's really important," said Alcala during the November council meeting. "I've heard from many members of the public - especially from my side of the area - and I would've liked to have had more input from more West Sacramentans."
People were also worried councilmembers violated the Brown Act by allegedly not allowing public comment. ABC10 looked into their concerns and it appears there likely was no violation.
"The City Attorney reviewed and confirmed that no violation of the Brown Act took place with either the request to place an item on a future agenda or with the street renaming action," said West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero.
While there was no public comment at the October meeting where the council simply voted to put the measure on November's agenda, there was public comment at the November meeting where the council actually voted on the re-naming itself.
Members of the Broderick and Bryte Association say this isn't over. Flores says the goal is to organize a public forum to reconsider the matter and get more community input.
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