The Buena Park City Council has one empty spot on the dais following Councilmember Jose Trinidad Castañeda’s resignation last week.
Castañeda stepped down from his post on Thursday, May 23, effectively immediately.
“I resigned so I could prioritize my health and make steadfast improvements in my health,” Castañeda said, declining to share additional details about his health condition.
The City Council will in the coming weeks consider options for filling the vacancy by appointment or special election, city clerk Adria Jimenez said.
But Castañeda said his service for the city may not be over yet. He said he may run again for his now-vacant seat in the November general election.
“I still have plenty of unfinished city business to see through and complete,” Castañeda said. “I would hope for the privilege of earning District 2 voters’ trust and confidence to finish out my term either this November or at a later time following my health recovery.”
Castañeda said he will also serve on the Orange County Transportation Authority’s Citizen Advisory Committee, a group of local leaders and residents participating in roundtable discussions related to various transportation projects. Onboarding and the first meeting will take place on July 16, he said.
Castañeda, who was first elected in 2022, has held multiple leadership positions in Buena Park and surrounding cities. He previously served as a committee chair for the Orange County Power Authority Community Advisory Committee, a Fullerton planning commissioner and a South Coast Air Quality Management District Youth Leaders Advisory Council member.
During his campaign for the City Council seat, Castañeda voiced support for building homes near transit and job centers and wanting to “eliminate regulatory barriers, streamline the permitting process and help lower the costs of mixed-income projects that can revitalize our neighborhoods.”
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A severe housing shortage and declining quality of living conditions are the biggest needs the city faces, he previously said.
Buena Park has five council districts. District 2, which Castañeda was elected to serve, is situated roughly in the eastern central region of the city and covers the city’s police department as well as City Hall. District 2 is also home to the city’s Koreatown and The Source OC, a large entertainment and mall complex.
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