Four candidates vie to lead Coachella after turbulent year in city politics

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) — Four candidates are vying to become Coachella’s next mayor as the city faces questions about public trust, government transparency and its future development.

The race comes after a turbulent year in city politics. In March, then-Mayor Steven Hernandez resigned after pleading guilty to a felony conflict-of-interest charge. Months later, a proposed data center project sparked community protests and recall efforts targeting two City Council members.

The candidates include incumbent Mayor Frank Figueroa, Councilmember Denise Delgado, Francisco “Frankie” Molina and Jesus “Kino” Gonzalez.

Molina, who does not have experience in city government, says restoring public trust would be his first priority if elected.

“We need a clean and transparent government because without that we’re not able to move forward in any initiatives we need to do,” Molina said.

Molina criticized what he described as a history of problems within city government, saying they have prevented Coachella from reaching its potential.

“The problem is we have a long history of corruption, negligence, nepotism and incompetence that plagues our city,” Molina said. “It’s like a cancer and we need to get rid of it.”

His proposals include creating a public dashboard to track city spending, improving access to city contracts, investing in infrastructure and expanding affordable housing. He also wants to create more opportunities for residents to receive job training and pursue better-paying jobs.

Molina said he hopes to bring an entrepreneurial approach to city government by listening to residents and developing solutions based on their needs.

“We need to know who our customer is, what they like, what they don’t like, how they behave, in order for us to develop solutions that are tailored specifically for them,” Molina said.

Delgado, who has served on the City Council since 2020, is also making the case for changes in how the city operates.

“I think this city is ready for a new style of leadership and a new approach to how the city is managed and how it’s operated, specifically when it comes to services that we provide our residents,” Delgado said.

Delgado was one of two councilmembers targeted by a recall effort launched in June amid backlash over the proposed data center project and concerns about city finances.

Gonzalez was among those leading the recall effort. Delgado said she believes the campaign was politically motivated, pointing to the absence of a recall question on the ballot.

“For me that’s testament that it was never about the recall, it was a way of doing dirty campaign,” Delgado said.

Delgado also said she authored a proposal to review industries beyond data centers that could have significant environmental impacts, including businesses that use large amounts of water and energy. She said the policy would also consider how close such industries are to schools.

Delgado said she wants to continue working to improve residents’ quality of life, particularly for working families.

“I work really hard and I give 100 percent to the city,” Delgado said. “I’m known as a hard worker and I dedicate my time to help working families be able to live a good quality life.”

Figueroa and Gonzalez did not respond to News Channel 3’s requests for interviews.

In addition to the mayoral race, five candidates are running for two open seats on the Coachella City Council.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.