Monterey County Grand Jury calls for Salinas council member to pay fines

Salinas Council Member Jose Castaneda continues to come under fire, this time by the Monterey County Civil Grand Jury.

As of Thursday, Jose Castaneda has apparently not yet paid the $5,000 fine the Monterey County Superior Court ordered him to pay for not stepping down from his Alisal Union School District board seat before being elected to City Council.

According to Castaneda, he does not have the means to pay. The Grand Jury recommended that the city use its legal power to make him pay or have him face consequences for not paying.

Now the Monterey County Civil Grand Jury has reportedly been investigating that and other information involving the councilman.

“We have a system of status quo that has been protecting each other for so long. In the community I’ve been elected to, it’s been my job to question everything and to expose these conflicts that have arisen. It starts with the city attorney’s office, the city manager himself as well as the mayor who has helped cover up some of these things himself,” Castaneda said.

Castaneda also stated that county supervisor Fernando Armenta has been trying to remove him from his city council seat. He also wants to look at the makeup of the Monterey County Civil Grand Jury to see if there are any conflicts of interest.

Castaneda said he wouldn’t be surprised if there are some members of the Salinas police department on there. He said he vows to fight this all the way to the Department of Justice.

Monterey County Grand Jury Report on Jose Castaneda