-Editorial
The Brawley City Council appointed Eric Montoya Reyes and Clyde Richard Edgar Jr. to fill two City Council seats that otherwise would have been decided by voters in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.
The appointments were approved Aug. 18 under California Elections Code Section 10229 after the city determined that the contest was uncontested.
Councilmembers Gilbert Rebollar and Perry Monita’s terms are set to expire, and neither filed nomination papers seeking reelection, according to Resolution No. 2026-45.
Reyes and Edgar were the only two qualified electors to submit nomination papers for the two available seats. The City Elections Official certified the uncontested contest to the City Council, as required under state law.
The resolution appoints Reyes and Edgar to the council and states that they will qualify, take office and serve as though they had been elected in a municipal election. Their appointments will become effective when Rebollar’s and Monita’s current terms expire.
Under state law, the council could have chosen to hold an election despite the uncontested race. Instead, councilmembers opted to make the appointments. The statutory deadline for doing so was Aug. 20, 75 days before the general election.
The city’s 2026-27 budget includes $50,000 for election-related expenses. According to the staff report, the appointment process is expected to cost approximately $300 in fees paid to the Imperial County Registrar of Voters. If no additional election-related costs are incurred, approximately $49,700 of the budgeted funds would remain available.
City records show that several other prospective candidates obtained nomination documents but ultimately did not qualify for the ballot. They included Esmeralda Doilez, Viridiana Osuna, Joel Gonzalez, Mark Hamby and Patricia Carrillo.
Rebollar Announces Decision Not to Seek Reelection
Rebollar announced Aug. 2 that he would not seek reelection, marking the end of his eight years in elected office. He said he made the decision in part to spend more time with his family, noting that his daughter is preparing to enter high school and that the demands of public service have often kept him away from home.
In announcing his departure, Rebollar thanked elected officials, city and school district staff, educators and community members who worked with him throughout his years of public service.
He highlighted several projects and initiatives during his tenure, including the development of the Padilla-Pace Middle School campus, the Brawley Elementary School District’s dual-language immersion program, the Youth Cinema Project, and the reopening and renovation of the Lions Recreation Center pool.
He also pointed to city ordinance updates and improvements to streets and other infrastructure as accomplishments during his time in office.
Beyond Brawley, Rebollar represented the city and Imperial Valley on several regional and statewide organizations, including the California School Boards Association, California Latino School Boards Association, Southern California Association of Governments, Imperial County Transportation Commission and Local Government 2030 Initiative.
Although he is stepping away from elected office, Rebollar said he intends to remain active in the Brawley community.
Rebollar currently serves as deputy CEO for General Services in the Imperial County Executive Office. He previously served as the county’s public information officer and as an administrative analyst for the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District.
