Corpus Christi City Council voted 5-3 on Tuesday to move forward with procedural steps in a potential removal process for Mayor Paulette Guajardo.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi City Council voted Tuesday to move forward with setting a meeting to discuss procedural steps tied to a petition seeking the removal of Mayor Paulette Guajardo.
In a 5-3 vote, council members agreed to set an agenda item and date to review preliminary and procedural matters required for a potential removal hearing. That next meeting is expected to take place April 14.
The vote does not remove the mayor but rather advances the process under city procedures.
Council members Carolyn Vaughn, Eric Cantu, Gil Hernandez, Kaylynn Paxson and Sylvia Campos voted in favor of moving the petition forward, while Roland Barrera, Everett Roy and Mark Scott voted against it.
The petition, originally filed in August 2025 by six residents and backed by three council members, is tied to concerns over the mayor’s response in the Homewood Suites investigation.
The vote followed hours of public comment at City Hall, with residents weighing in both support and disapproval of the effort to remove the mayor.
“It’s unfortunate that we have a process in place where five or six people you know can sign a piece of paper to remove a mayor or a council member,” Mayor Guajardo said.
Councilman Mark Scott is among those who voted against advancing the petition.
“Especially after we have spent four or five hundred thousand dollars investigating that issue, and to have found that there’s nothing there,” Scott said.
Scott added that the council should focus on more pressing concerns, such as the region’s water crisis.
“I don’t know that council, after all this money we have spent, should be the ones to initiate a request to the ethics commission. I just assume getting back to work on water, which is what the citizens want us to do,” Scott said.
Guajardo said the petition is counterproductive.
“It doesn’t do anything for our residents, it doesn’t serve our residents. It is divisive, it is the complete opposite of being united and working together. But it’s what they’re choosing to do,” Guajardo said.
3NEWS spoke with political analyst Dr. Bill Chriss, who broke down what comes next in a situation like this one.
“So for example, were the city council to vote on this current petition to remove Mayor Guajardo, I would expect Mayor Guajardo to go to court and say ‘you can’t do that,’” Chriss said.
Dr. Chriss added that the timeline could even extend beyond the next election.
“Next election’s in November, so the next election is in eight months. The proceedings that would be involved in removing the mayor are likely to involve litigation that will almost certainly last more than eight months,” Chriss said.
Meanwhile, Guajardo shared a message with the Corpus Christi community.
“I’m gonna to remain steady. I’m gonna to keep my attention where it belongs, and I’m gonna continue delivering results for the people of Corpus Christi,” Guajardo said.
The April 14 meeting will mark the next step in determining how the petition proceeds.
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