Coachella Council Members Face Potential Recall Effort

Two Coachella City Council members are facing a potential recall after residents filed formal notices of intention Wednesday night, during the city's regularly scheduled council session.

Vicente Zamora and Jesus Ahkin Gonzalez announced they had filed the paperwork targeting Council Members Yadira Perez and Denise Delgado, citing concerns over city budgeting and the council's handling of the Stronghold Power data center project, a proposal that was ultimately rejected following significant community pushback.

Zamora and Gonzalez are the co-hosts of "More Than Politics Coachella Valley," a local online podcast, and were among the organizers who rallied opposition to AI data centers in the city before the council voted to place a 45-day moratorium on such projects.

The City of Coachella confirmed it received the initial filing and said it is now under legal review. The city plans to issue an official response by Monday. Once that response is made, Perez and Delgado will each have seven days to file a reply of their own.

For the recall to make it onto the November midterm ballot, organizers will need signatures from at least 20% of registered voters in the city.

Zamora and Gonzalez said they chose not to file against Mayor Frank Figueroa or Council Member Stephanie Virgen because both of their terms expire this year, meaning their seats are already on the November ballot.