A few days before the election, South Gate elected official faces accusations of ethics violation

South Gate is no stranger to political scandals, and this election is not the exception. 

The City Clerk, Yodit Glaze, is being accused of ethics violations. The concerns first came through a letter dated October 1, 2024, in which a resident, whose name wasn’t revealed, said many voters believe there is favoritism toward specific candidates running for reelection. 

Since August, Glaze has openly supported the reelection of Mayor Gil Hurtado, Vice Mayor Maria Davila, and Councilmember Franbert Calderon. Glaze’s social media page features a backdrop of the candidates' names, showing her full support. 

Glaze is also accused of donating money to one of the candidates’ campaigns.

The letter that was asked to be read in council questions whether City Attorney Raul Salinas can advise the city clerk on any potential legal ramifications that the situation could have in the City.  

“The role of the City Clerk should be one of objectivity and dedication, focused solely on ensuring the integrity and fairness of the election process for all candidates involved, regardless of their political affiliations,” states the letter.

In California, there are two types of clerks: appointed and elected. In South Gate, the City Clerk is elected by the people; therefore, she cannot be fired by the City. Other candidates ask for her endorsement because she is an elected candidate—although she gets paid about $7,710 a month.

The City of South Gate indicates that the Office of the City Clerk maintains the City’s records management system and legislative history, including the Municipal Code. The clerk also acts as the official record keeper for the City, codifies ordinances, resolutions, and contracts, and conducts municipal elections.

In South Gate, the City Clerk's Office does not count votes. The LA County Registrar-Recorder office is in charge of that. 

The city clerk said the difference between her position as an elected official and any hired city clerk is that those appointed can’t campaign or endorse any candidate.

Glaze said she is aware of the accusations and believes this is personal. She said it could be retaliation from candidate Maria del Pilar Avalos, who asked her for her support and she refused.  

She recalled that when Avalos, a current council member of South Gate, turned in her candidate’s forms, she asked Glaze for copies while requesting her support. 

“That, to me, is unethical because I'm talking about politics at my counter, and I don't do that, so I quickly just missed it,” said Glaze.  

Glaze also clarified that her husband donated $1,000 to Vice Mayor Maria Davila’s campaign. 

Mayor Hurtado said it is nefarious to think corruption is happening in South Gate because the City Clerk supports candidates like himself. 

He said the story goes back to the previous city clerk, Carmen Avalos, the sister of current councilwoman Maria del Pilar Avalos. Hurtado indicated that Carmen didn’t act accordingly because while she was an elected official of South Gate, she allegedly held other jobs, such as teaching and city clerk in Hawthorne. Allegedly, she also applied for a city clerk position in Long Beach. 

This situation caused many residents discomfort, who questioned Carmen's work ethic. Because she was elected, the City Council couldn't fire her, and she stayed in office until 2022, when Glaze replaced her.  

Councilmember speaks about personal vendetta

Councilwoman Avalos, who has been on the City Council since 2020, said this is a political move. She feels the other candidates are trying to remove her. She said one of the candidates is a lobbyist “funneling” the campaigns of certain candidates, including the city clerk and the treasurer in 2022. 

“So, do they want me out? Yes. Why? Because I ask questions, a lot of questions,” she said.

Avalos said when she decided to run for the first time, her sister Carmen didn’t get involved in the campaign to prevent any misinterpretation. Avalos said other council members thought she was coming with a bad vendetta because of her sister Carmen, but that was not true.

Hurtado said he is neither a lobbyist nor Davila, and he does not know who she is referring to. 

“That’s their train of thought, not mine. I came to serve our community,” said Avalos. 

CALÓ News tried to obtain comments from City Attorney Salinas and City Manager Rob Houston regarding the potential ethics violation. Salinas said he could not speak to the press, and Houston didn’t return the call.  

The South Gate general election will be held on November 5, the same day as the presidential election. The South Gate website states that candidates must reside within the City of South Gate's incorporated boundaries and be registered voters when nomination papers are issued to be eligible to run for city council. 

Five candidates are running for three seats, and the top three will win. They are Maria R. Davila, Gil Hurtado, Maria del Pilar Avalos, Franbert “Frankie” Calderon, and Alan Garcia. 

To learn more about voting locations and times, visit www.lavote.gov