D.A. sues to remove Maywood councilman from water board seat

Los Angeles County prosecutors filed a lawsuit this week to remove Maywood City Councilman Sergio Calderon from a regional water board, claiming both offices are a conflict of interest and violate state law.

Calderon, 40, is a board member of the Water Replenishment District of Southern California and oversees a division that includes southeast L.A. County cities, including Maywood.

The lawsuit, which prosecutors filed Wednesday, claims that both positions “have overlapping territory, duties and responsibilities, and a clash of duties is likely to arise in the exercise of both offices simultaneously.�

Calderon could not be reach for comment Friday.

This is not the first time Calderon has gotten into trouble on this issue. Prosecutors filed a similar lawsuit in 2008 when they tried to remove him from the Maywood council because he was already serving on the water board.

Calderon resigned from his council post before the matter went to trial. He was elected again in November 2015.

Last month, the state attorney general’s office issued an opinion on the matter that allowed prosecutors to move forward with the suit, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Prosecutors sought permission to sue Calderon in a process known as a quo warranto. After the attorney general grants approval, quo warranto actions allow individuals and public agencies to challenge a person’s right to hold office.

Earlier this year, prosecutors went through the same process when they filed a lawsuit against Carson Mayor Albert Robles, who also serves on the same regional water board with Calderon. His case is pending.

Calderon has 30 days to respond to the civil action.

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