During council comments on Nov. 19, Avalon Councilmember Lisa Lavelle wanted to know if the council members wanted to create a resolution to object to Project 2025.
No such resolution was on the agenda this Tuesday. The council members took no action and did not cast a formal vote. Councilmember Mary Schickling was absent. However, in their comments council members Michael Ponce and Yesenia De La Rosa indicated support for the idea.
Project 2025 is a controversial set of policy proposals put out by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. President-elect Donald Trump distanced himself from Project 2025 during the 2024 election campaign. However, some of his cabinet candidates have been linked to Project 2025.
Lavelle reminded the public that Avalon had established itself as a sanctuary city.
She said Avalon always had been and would continue to be a community that watches out for those who are in it.
“It is challenging to hear people’s concerns of very real fear regarding what’s happening now,” Lavelle said.
Ponce said he agreed with her comments about Project 2025
“Project 25 is destroying the fabric of this community,” Ponce said.
Ponce supported having the council do something against Project 2025.
“This feels so personal on so many levels. Not only because it’s our community members but it’s our aunts, our uncles, brothers, sisters, far and wide,” said De La Rosa.
“I thin, what really hit me was not only seeing the adults in fear but seeing the kids in fear the next day,” De La Rosa said.
She said she saw a couple of kids crying at the school the next day, apparently referring to Election Day 2024.
De La Rosa said she will stand firm in advocating for and protecting her community members.
“If we wanted to do that, staff would just create some kind of report and resolution based on it and bring it back for a future meeting,” said Mayor Anni Marshall.
