There's more political drama at Corpus Christi City Hall.
Three Corpus Christi City Council members are requesting that a petition to remove Mayor Paulette Guajardo be placed on the agenda for discussion and possible action.
On Wednesday, At-large Council Member Carolyn Vaughn, District 5 Council Member Gil Hernandez, and District 3 Council Member Eric Cantu submitted a Council Action Request to City Secretary Rebecca Huerta.
The request asks that the item be placed on the March 24, 2026, City Council agenda for discussion and possible action, per Council Policy 16.d.
The petition at the center of the request was filed by Rachel Caballero on August 29, 2025. According to the action request, the City Council received the formal petition that day seeking removal action against Guajardo.
The council members are asking the full council to discuss and possibly act to determine if any formal proceedings should be taken pursuant to Article II, Section 11 of the City Charter.
The request was received by the City Secretary's Office on Wednesday. Copies were also sent to the mayor and council, City Manager Peter Zanoni, and City Attorney Miles Risley.
In the petition, Caballero calls for the mayor's removal on the grounds of malfeasance, misconduct, incompetence, and willful neglect in the performance of official duties.
The petition was filed after the findings of a lawsuit between the City of Corpus Christi and Ajit David.
The hotelier is suing the city after controversy over the city's granting of a $2 million incentive to project developers Deven Bhakta and Philip Ramirez of Elevate QOF, LLC, for the Homewood Suites being built at the corner of North Chaparral Street and Lomax Street.
The developers sought the Type B sales tax incentive in 2023 for their five-story, 126-room hotel. It marked the first time such public funds had been used to subsidize a hotel in Corpus Christi.
During presentations to the Type B Corporation board in December 2023 and the City Council in February 2024, developers claimed that newly finalized FEMA floodplain maps caught them off guard and resulted in unexpected additional costs. They said the maps, which became effective October 13, 2023, threw "a wrinkle" into the project from both constructability and cost perspectives.
However, David alleged that a screenshot of a FEMA document presented to city officials had been altered. The FEMA news release was dated April 13, 2022—months after the property was purchased in January 2022 and before construction began.
Caballero, in her petition, claims that the mayor approved the project, thereby awarding $2 million to two of her campaign contributors.
In December 2025, the city announced that all law enforcement agencies that investigated potential criminal conduct related to the Homewood Suites incentive closed their investigations and would not file charges against developer Philip Ramirez.
Jeff Lehrman, attorney for Ramirez, said he had been informed by relevant law enforcement agencies—including the Corpus Christi Police Department, FBI, and Texas Rangers—that their investigations had concluded with no findings of criminal conduct.
Wednesday's request to discuss a petition to remove the mayor comes one day after Governor Abbott chastised city leaders over the city's water crisis.
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