Romero’s aide running office smoothly

City Representative Larry Romero’s legislative aide is running the District Two office since Christmas and it appears the district’s usual business is running smoothly. “The process hasn’t changed. even though Rep. Romero is not physically here, things are still being taken care of,” said Gutierrez in an interview on Monday.

The city employee has worked at the District Two office for nearly eleven years, starting with former City Rep. Susie Byrd. She has been a city employee for twenty years. “We were so lucky when Larry Romero kept her because I knew that experience would carry over and we’d still receive the great service we’d been getting,” said Madeleine Haddox, the President of the Radford Hills Neighborhood Association. New city representatives have the option of hiring new staff or keeping the office employees.

Romero suffered a stroke a couple days before Christmas and has been absent from city hall since. He resigned last month in the middle of an ethics investigation into his involvement in the altering of a street paving list and the search for a new financial advisor. Both processes started without council approval.

“It’s unfortunate what happened. and I’m still saddened by the way everything turned out. I do. I wish him the best and I wish him a speedy recovery,” said Gutierrez.

Haddox met Gutierrez in 2006 when a contentious zoning case in her neighborhood had a happy ending for her: a park instead of apartments in front of her home. She still calls her often with neighborhood association concerns of complaints. Haddox said Gutierrez has always handled constituent concerns. “When I contacted her on a Thursday afternoon by Friday morning the issue had been taken care of and when I send her an email she just writes back on it and literally she is on it.” Haddox said she has called Gutierrez while she’s on vacation or off from work and Gutierrez has still responded to her concerns.

“While Rep. Romero may not physically be here, the office is being taken care of and whatever your issues are and I’m doing my best to address them very expeditiously and maybe not the answer that they want but I am getting back to them,” said Gutierrez.

When asked if she would consider running for the district seat, Gutierrez said no. She said she does not live in the district and could not afford the pay cut.