A petition calling for Morgan Hill Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Martínez Beltrán to resign from the city council has gathered more than 400 signatures since an independent investigation cleared Mayor Mark Turner of assault allegations.
The petition comes as Turner prepares to seek Martínez Beltrán’s removal as Mayor Pro Tem at the Aug. 20 council meeting. In a statement this week, Turner said his decision comes from concerns about her conduct in office.
“The decision to remove Ms. Beltran from her role as Mayor Pro Tem is based on concerns regarding her conduct in office,” Turner said. “Observations from others have raised serious questions about her interactions with colleagues, including racially charged comments and divisive remarks.”
The online petition at change.org, started by Ling Yang, carries no binding authority. The petition is titled a “resignation demand” directed at Martínez Beltrán.
“Evidence suggests that continuing with this current leadership by Council Member Yvonne Martínez Beltrán could further erode community trust and social cohesion, making it imperative for the betterment of Morgan Hill that new leadership be sought,” says the petition, which has gathered 393 signatures as of Aug. 6.
The petition was initially posted July 29. A majority of the signers are from local zip codes, according to the online platform.
The Mayor Pro Tem role involves presiding over council meetings when the mayor is absent, representing the city at official functions in the mayor’s absence, and serving as acting mayor when needed. The position carries both ceremonial importance and practical responsibilities, including the authority to run meetings and maintain order during council proceedings.
Turner cited the city’s formal investigation by Kramer Workplace Investigations, which found that witnesses reported Martínez Beltrán made comments that two council members were “too old and too white to be on this council.”
“A formal and thorough investigation has further identified patterns that suggest a lack of alignment with the standards of integrity, professionalism and impartiality expected of someone in this leadership position,” Turner said. “In light of these findings, I feel it is in the best interest of the city to appoint a representative who can uphold the responsibilities of Mayor Pro Tem with the highest level of professionalism and public trust.”
The investigative report, presented at a July 22 special council meeting, concluded that all allegations against Turner were not sustained. Martínez Beltrán had alleged that Turner physically assaulted her during a Feb. 7 council meeting, yelling at her and pushing her forearm while saying, “You’re going to get in line.”
The investigation found that video evidence contradicted Martínez Beltrán’s claims and that her credibility was undermined by inconsistencies between her police report and her statement to investigators. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office declined to file criminal charges.
The investigation also revealed that Martínez Beltrán’s claims of retaliation through committee assignments were unfounded, as she actually received more committee appointments than other council members.
Notably, the investigation—which cost the city about $28,000—found that Turner had recommended Martínez Beltrán for the Mayor Pro Tem position, which investigators said undermined her claims that he harbored animus against her for running against him in the November 2024 mayoral election.
Martínez Beltrán has hotly disputed the validity of the investigation, calling it “incomplete and whitewashed.”
“While the report failed to do a thorough investigation, has misstatements and is lacking, it confirms Mayor Mark Turner put his hands on me and shouldn’t have,” Martínez Beltrán said. “I’m disappointed with how he has chosen to victim shame and attack me rather than take accountability, although not surprised.”
The independent investigation report does not dispute that Turner touched Martínez Beltrán, but states that its findings do not support Martínez Beltrán’s claim that he pushed her either in the stomach, as she claimed in her police report, or in the arm, as she claimed in her interview with the independent investigator.
Martínez Beltrán was not present at the July 22 special council meeting due to a previously scheduled family vacation. She has asserted that the timing of the meeting, which was scheduled during the council’s normal summer recess, prevented her from being present to speak her piece.
“I was not provided the opportunity while I asked many times to address a one-sided account that does not depict what happened and it needs to be rectified,” she wrote in an email.
Turner said he has not yet decided who he would nominate to replace Martínez Beltrán as Mayor Pro Tem, saying “that will be an issue for council members to discuss and decide.”
Regarding whether Martínez Beltrán should resign from her council seat entirely, Turner said the decision “ultimately rests with her.”
“As an elected official, she has the responsibility to reflect on the concerns that have been raised and determine the course of action that best serves the interests of the community and the integrity of the council,” he said.
The online petition cannot force Martínez Beltrán’s removal from office. A recall would require a formal petition with verifiable signatures from 25% of eligible voters in the councilmember’s district.
To successfully recall the councilmember, organizers would first need to give Martínez Beltrán formal notice and allow her to write a statement explaining why she should not be recalled. After petition approval, organizers would have 90 days to collect the required signatures. If validated, the city would have 150 days to hold a recall election, unless it falls within 180 days of an already-scheduled election.
The city council has referred the matter to both the Fair Political Practices Commission and a Civil Grand Jury for independent review. The FPPC is a political watchdog agency that enforces campaign finance conflict of interest laws.
A Civil Grand Jury serves as an independent citizen watchdog body that investigates government operations and public agencies. Should the jury take up the issue, they may conduct their own investigation and make recommendations to the council based on their findings, which the council can vote on whether or not to adopt.
Turner emphasized the need to move beyond the controversy and focus on city business. He called for unity among council members going forward.
“As elected officials, we must set aside partisanship, recommit to working together, and prioritize the needs of our residents,” Turner said. “It’s important that we move forward together, with unity and purpose, to find solutions that strengthen our community and build a better future for all.”
The council is scheduled to consider Turner’s motion to remove Martínez Beltrán as Mayor Pro Tem when it reconvenes from summer recess on Aug. 20.
Whitewashed 🤣
I am interested in a formal recall that would compel her to step down. If anyone is interested in signing the recall petition, please contact me at 650-245-7395. First step is we need 60 signatures from only registered voters in her district.
I would 100% not support this.
The ‘independent’ investigation relied completely on a handful of witnesses whose credibility, the report, noted was crucial to the validity of the conclusions. Then by some unexplained magic potion, but not by examination of any previous public record which there is an abundance of, the reports author deemed the witnesses credible.
But the video of the incident shows that every witness deemed credible made statements which stretch that assumption beyond belief, especially the City Manager.
Read the report carefully. Watch the video carefully. The witnesses are so NOT credible, I hope the big threat of taking the made up charges to a grand jury happens to show what a hack job this really was.
In my humble opinion, it comes across as somewhat aggressive for Mayor Turner to follow this, what he seems to consider a big misunderstanding–that his touching her arm was only a friendly gesture–with an attack on YMB’s role as Mayor Pro Tem. Is it not better to say, sorry for the unwanted arm touching that was not meant to be aggressive–my apologies–could we all please move on for the sake of our town?