Coachella Cancels Next Week's City Council Meeting; Agenda Items Pushed to Late January

Coachella's city council meeting scheduled for Wednesday, January 14th, has been cancelled. The city says all agenda items will carry over to the next meeting on January 28th.

The council last met on December 10th—a session where Mayor Steven Hernandez did not appear. His absence forced the council to delay a vote for a new mayor pro tem and nominations to various sub-committees. Hernandez's last council appearance was at the November meeting, and it remains unclear when or if he will return.

The mayor was arrested in October 2024 and charged with nine criminal counts tied to perjury and conflict of interest, five of which are felonies. The charges remain pending.