Carpinteria City Councilman Joe Armendariz Steps Down

Santa Barbara- In a major announcement Monday night, Carpinteria City Councilman, Joe Armendariz, says he’s stepping down from council before the November Election. The councilman says he’ll be leaving his post effective October 1st. While there’s been mounting pressure from members in the community to have Armendariz resign months ago, following his second DUI arrest last December, the councilman tells KEY News, this decision has nothing to do with that.Armendariz says he’s moving to Orcutt, in North County to be closer to his kids, and grandchild. He also says he’s pursuing some political and business opportunities. He didn’t explain exactly what kind of work he’ll be doing in Orcutt, but he did says he’ll continue to stay active and will be doing some work with energy companies. As for his seat–the Mayor will decide whether they’ll keep the seat vacant or appoint someone for the remainder of the term. This means there could be some items that can’t be voted on because there may not be enough votes. KEY News Reporter Shirin Rajaee reports.