Case file · The sourced record · Salinas District 1

Why we are recalling José Luis BarajasPor qué buscamos revocar a José Luis Barajas

Recall Barajas is a community-led campaign to recall José Luis Barajas, the Salinas City Council Member for District 1. Neighbors launched it over his vote to repeal Salinas’ renter protections, rising sewer rates that squeeze family budgets, and a district that deserves leadership that listens. We are organizing around three things: accountability, affordability, and representation.

UpdatedAugust 23, 2026

What did José Luis Barajas do?¿Qué hizo José Luis Barajas?

Renter protections repealed.Se derogaron las protecciones para inquilinos.
Sewer rates hiked.Se dispararon las tarifas de alcantarillado.
A district left unheard.Un distrito que no es escuchado.
A campaign bankrolled by special interests.Una campaña financiada por intereses especiales.
District 1 deserves accountability, affordability, and representation.El Distrito 1 merece rendición de cuentas, asequibilidad y representación.

The record, reason by reasonEl expediente, razón por razón

Renter ProtectionsProtecciones para Inquilinos

Salinas had adopted four renter protection ordinances: a rental registration program covering roughly 30,000 units, rent stabilization capping annual increases at 2.75%, tenant protection and just-cause eviction rules stricter than state law, and an anti-harassment ordinance. Barajas himself made the motion to repeal all four; the council approved it 5‑2, and Ordinance No. 2687 was adopted June 3, 2025. Salinas residents pushed back — a referendum against the repeal qualified with 7,156 verified signatures, sending it to voters on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Barajas has pointed to a rental assistance program and a mortgage assistance program he supported as alternatives; we address that argument directly in the "What we are not saying" section below. But an assistance program a household has to apply for is not the same thing as a protection that applies to every renter in the city, and District 1 is one of the most renter-heavy parts of Salinas.

Salinas había adoptado cuatro ordenanzas de protección para inquilinos: un programa de registro de alquileres que cubre aproximadamente 30,000 unidades, la estabilización de rentas con un tope de 2.75% en los aumentos anuales, reglas de protección al inquilino y de desalojo con causa justa más estrictas que la ley estatal, y una ordenanza contra el acoso. El propio Barajas presentó la moción para derogar las cuatro; el concejo la aprobó 5‑2, y la Ordenanza N.º 2687 se adoptó el 3 de junio de 2025. Los residentes de Salinas respondieron: un referéndum contra la derogación calificó con 7,156 firmas verificadas, lo que lo llevará a los votantes en la boleta del 3 de noviembre de 2026. Barajas ha señalado un programa de asistencia para el alquiler y otro de asistencia hipotecaria que él respaldó como alternativas; abordamos ese argumento directamente en la sección "Lo que no estamos diciendo" más abajo. Pero un programa de asistencia que un hogar tiene que solicitar no es lo mismo que una protección que aplica a todos los inquilinos de la ciudad, y el Distrito 1 es una de las zonas de Salinas con más inquilinos.

SourceMonterey County Now

Sewer Rate HikeAumento de Tarifas de Alcantarillado

In October 2025, Salinas sewer rates tripled: from $5.45 a month for a single-family home — unchanged since 2012 — to $16.35, on a schedule that rises to $17.70 by 2029. A sewer rate increase lands on every household in District 1 whether they rent or own, and it arrives on top of rent, groceries, gas, and utilities that have all moved in the same direction. For a family on a fixed income, a recurring utility increase is not a line item — it is a choice between bills. Residents have raised the rate hike repeatedly as part of the affordability pressure this district is carrying.

En octubre de 2025, las tarifas de alcantarillado en Salinas se triplicaron: de $5.45 al mes para una vivienda unifamiliar —sin cambios desde 2012— a $16.35, según un calendario que sube hasta $17.70 para 2029. Un aumento en las tarifas de alcantarillado afecta a cada hogar del Distrito 1, ya sea que renten o sean dueños, y llega encima de la renta, los víveres, la gasolina y otros servicios que también han subido. Para una familia con ingresos fijos, un aumento recurrente en un servicio no es solo una línea más en el presupuesto: es tener que elegir entre pagar una cuenta u otra. Los residentes han señalado repetidamente este aumento como parte de la presión de asequibilidad que carga este distrito.

SourceMonterey County Now

Lack of RepresentationFalta de Representación

Representation is not only how someone votes — it is whether constituents can reach them, whether their questions get answered, and whether the district hears about a decision before it is made rather than after. Residents organizing this recall describe a pattern of decisions arriving without warning and of a council office that is hard to reach. As of this writing, the city’s official District 1 page lists no biography, no committee assignments, and no office hours for the councilmember. A district that has to launch a recall to be heard has already been told something about how much its voice counts.

La representación no es solo cómo vota alguien: es si sus electores pueden contactarlo, si sus preguntas reciben respuesta, y si el distrito se entera de una decisión antes de que se tome y no después. Los residentes que organizan esta revocación describen un patrón de decisiones que llegan sin aviso y una oficina del concejal difícil de contactar. Al momento de escribir esto, la página oficial del Distrito 1 en el sitio de la ciudad no incluye biografía, ni asignaciones a comités, ni horario de oficina para el concejal. Un distrito que tiene que impulsar una revocación para ser escuchado ya recibió un mensaje claro sobre cuánto cuenta su voz.

SourceCity of Salinas — District 1

Follow the moneySigue el dinero

$135,688

Total raised Total recaudado

$99,000

From 18 maximum donors — about 73% of the total De 18 donantes al máximo — cerca del 73% del total

Campaign finance filings show Barajas raised $135,688. Of that, $99,000 — about 73% — came from just 18 donors, each writing a maximum $5,500 check. Nearly all of them are Salinas Valley agribusiness and real-estate interests: growers, shippers, harvest companies, and industry PACs. Most of his campaign money came from a small number of major donors and special interests — not from the neighborhoods of District 1.

Los informes de financiamiento de campaña muestran que Barajas recaudó $135,688. De esa cantidad, $99,000 —alrededor del 73%— provinieron de solo 18 donantes, cada uno con un cheque por el máximo de $5,500. Casi todos son intereses del agronegocio y de bienes raíces del Valle de Salinas: productores, empacadoras, compañías de cosecha y comités de acción política de la industria. La mayor parte del dinero de su campaña vino de un pequeño número de grandes donantes e intereses especiales — no de los vecindarios del Distrito 1.

The maximum checks — $5,500 each Los cheques al máximo — $5,500 cada uno

Bruce Taylor — Taylor Fresh Foods$5,500
Braga Fresh Family Farms$5,500
Church Brothers$5,500
Ocean Mist Farms$5,500
Organic Girl$5,500
The Nunes Company$5,500
California Real Estate Political Action Committee$5,500
Salinas Valley Leadership PAC$5,500
Anthony Costa & Sons$5,500
Keith Tanimura Family Trust$5,500
General Farms Investment$5,500
Premier Packing$5,500
Ramirez Harvest Company$5,500
Dynasty Farms$5,500
3 N&M Inc.$5,500
Cathy Alameda — Top Flavor Farms$5,500
Brian Antle — T&A$5,500
Gary Tanimura$5,500
Blazer Wilkinson Gee$5,000

A campaign contribution does not prove that a donor controls an elected official or purchased a vote.Una contribución de campaña no prueba que un donante controle a un funcionario electo ni que haya comprado un voto.

Who funds him? Who benefits? Who is he listening to?¿Quién lo financia? ¿Quién se beneficia? ¿A quién está escuchando?

SourceCity of Salinas — campaign finance disclosure portal (FPPC Form 460)

Convinced? We need your help → Volunteer

In their own wordsEn sus propias palabras

"We need to work on the supply side. Other jurisdictions have helped stabilize rents by increasing supply. That’s simply economics. Emotion aside, the data tells us we need to focus on building."
"Necesitamos trabajar del lado de la oferta. Otras jurisdicciones han ayudado a estabilizar las rentas aumentando la oferta. Eso es simplemente economía. Dejando las emociones de lado, los datos nos dicen que debemos enfocarnos en construir."

— José Luis Barajas on repealing the renter protection ordinances, as reported by Monterey County Now, April 2025 (view record) · Spanish translation by the campaign

"I have faithfully voted to represent the will of the majority of District 1. Recalls are extreme measures and should only be used when an elected official has either broken the law or violated the trust of their constituents. That is clearly not the case here."
"He votado fielmente para representar la voluntad de la mayoría del Distrito 1. Las revocaciones son medidas extremas y solo deben usarse cuando un funcionario electo ha infringido la ley o ha violado la confianza de sus electores. Claramente ese no es el caso aquí."

— José Luis Barajas responding to the recall effort, as reported by Monterey County Now, February 2026 (view record) · Spanish translation by the campaign

What we are not sayingLo que no estamos diciendo

We are not claiming every decision José Luis Barajas has made in office was wrong, and we are not asking you to take our word for it without evidence.

The strongest argument against this recall is his own: Barajas has pointed to a rental assistance program and a mortgage assistance program he supported as alternatives to the renter protections the council repealed. That is a real position, publicly stated, and it deserves to be read before you decide.

Source Monterey County Now

The record since then cuts both ways, and we will not hide it: after Salinas voters qualified a referendum to restore the protections, Barajas himself moved to reverse the repeal — and the motion died when no other councilmember seconded it.

Source KION

Weigh that against the sourced record above and decide for yourself.

Official notice · District 1 recall

The legal basis for this recall La base legal de esta revocación

Recall of a Salinas city council member under the California Elections Code recall provisions. A second notice of intention was cleared to proceed in May 2026, and the Salinas City Clerk approved the petition for circulation on August 10, 2026 — 2,462 valid signatures of registered District 1 voters, gathered within a 90-day circulation window.

Official election information: Salinas City Clerk

Common questions Preguntas frecuentes

Why is José Luis Barajas being recalled?

Three reasons. He voted to repeal Salinas’ renter protections, stripping safeguards from families already facing rising housing costs. Sewer rate increases have added to the squeeze on household budgets. And residents in District 1 say they are not being heard by the person elected to represent them. Accountability, affordability, representation.

Who is funding Barajas?

Campaign finance filings show Barajas raised $135,688 — and $99,000 of it, about 73%, came from just 18 donors who each gave the maximum $5,500, nearly all of them Salinas Valley agribusiness and real-estate interests. The full donor ledger, with sources, is in the Follow the money section of our Why page. A contribution does not prove a donor controls an official — but District 1 deserves to know who funds him, who benefits, and who he is listening to.

What is a recall election?

A recall is a process that lets voters remove an elected official before the end of their term. Voters first sign a petition; if the Salinas City Clerk and Monterey County Elections verify enough valid signatures, the question goes on the ballot and District 1 voters decide. It is a normal, lawful part of California democracy.

Who can sign the recall petition?

You must be a registered voter who resides in Salinas City Council District 1. If you are not sure whether your registration is current, check it at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov or call Monterey County Elections at (831) 796-1499 before signing. If you need to register or re-register, the county elections office can do that too.

How many signatures are needed?

The recall needs at least 2,462 valid signatures from registered District 1 voters — the requirement the Salinas City Clerk stated when the petition was approved for circulation on August 10, 2026 — collected within a 90-day window. The campaign’s goal is 3,500 signatures — a safety cushion, because some signatures are always ruled invalid.

Can I sign the petition online?

No. The California Elections Code recall provisions require an original ink signature on an official petition form, so no website, email, or e-signature can count. Sign in person with a volunteer or at a petition location. Text the campaign’s text-to-sign line at (831) 287-4698, or use the volunteer form here, and we will tell you exactly where and when to sign.

I already signed — do I need to sign again?

No, and please do not. Signing twice does not help and duplicate signatures are struck during verification. If you are unsure whether you already signed, reach us through the contact page and we will check the record rather than have you sign a second time. The best next step is asking neighbors to sign.

What happens if the recall qualifies?

Once the Salinas City Clerk and Monterey County Elections verify enough valid signatures, the recall is certified and a special recall election is called for District 1 — the seat is not otherwise on a ballot until 2028, because the current term runs November 2024 through November 2028. District 1 voters then decide whether Barajas is removed, under the California Elections Code recall provisions. Qualifying is the beginning, not the end.

How can I help?

Sign the petition, then bring others. Volunteers gather signatures, staff tables, text and call neighbors, and help with data entry — most shifts are two hours and training takes minutes. You can also host a signing at your home or business. Fill out the volunteer form and we will follow up quickly.