Esmeralda Soria joins Assembly on Monday. How Fresno City Council will fill her seat

After serving eight years on the Fresno City Council, Councilmember Esmeralda Soria resigned on Thursday and cast her final votes before assuming her new role in the California State Assembly.

Soria submitted her resignation Thursday morning to Council President Nelson Esparza and participated in her last regular City Council meeting. Her seat will become vacant on noon Monday after she’s sworn in to represent the newly drawn 27th Assembly District.

Soria’s council colleagues and city officials held an impromptu ceremony and honored her during Thursday’s meeting in addition to a lunchtime reception.

Mayor Jerry Dyer, the councilmembers, city officials and residents in public comment shared heartfelt words about their experiences with Soria and her work for her district and the city.

They applauded her ability to pass legislation despite being the only woman on the council and often advocating alone on issues such as affordable housing, homelessness and parks. They also said Soria set a new standard for engaging with her constituents and residents’ needs and making the city more inclusive. Her colleagues also teased her for her “greediness” in securing funding for her district.

Even Councilmember Garry Bredefeld, one of her fiercest critics, showered her with praise and wished her the best.

“People would be surprised that we’ve agreed on a lot of things, probably more things than we’ve disagreed on. But you have been a tremendous advocate for the people that you represent,” Bredefeld said. “I wish you nothing but success when you go to the Assembly. You worked hard for it, and I think you will do great things for the people that you represent.”

Soria attributed her work ethic and “relentlessness” to her mother, a Mexican immigrant who, along with Esmeralda, worked as a farm worker. She thanked her team for raising the bar on how hard they worked, and she thanked city employees for their service.

“We’ve set the bar high, I will say, because our constituents deserve nothing less. When I came to City Hall, I told my constituents that if they couldn’t come to City Hall, City Hall will come to them. That’s what we made happen over the last eight years,” Soria said.

“I am super excited about what is next because I can continue to do the work at a greater scale and continue to help Fresno and all the other small communities that exist here in the Valley that, for far too long, have been left behind,” Soria said. “So I just have a lot of gratitude.”

A regret

The one thing she regretted not getting done while in office was giving Quigley Park a facelift. She encouraged city leaders to prioritize it since the park won’t be in her new assembly district.

Soria perhaps was most sharply criticized for her relationship with developer Terance Frazier, whose nonprofit operates Granite Park. Soria recused herself from votes on any of Frazier’s projects. Frazier has publicly speculated he came under fire as political retaliation against Soria.

Soria will be sworn in to the State Assembly on Monday representing the newly drawn 27th District, which covers western Fresno County, most of Madera County and all of Merced County.

After that, the District 1 Council seat will be vacant.

“I don’t anticipate the vacancy lasting long,” Council President Nelson Esparza said. “It would be nice to have seven members at the dais for the last meeting of the year so District 1 residents can have representation.”

State Center Community College Trustee Annalisa Perea will be the next District 1 councilmember. She won her election in June and has worked closely with Soria and other city leaders in the time since then to foster a smooth transition.

Perea’s term on the State Center board ends Dec. 13. The last regular council meeting of the year is scheduled for Dec. 15.