Supervisor Perez refutes resignation rumors, says he’s ‘nowhere near ready to stop serving’
Riverside County Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez strongly refuted what he said was unfounded speculation about his potential resignation due to health concerns in a prepared statement Tuesday, stating that he’s “nowhere near ready to stop serving the residents of the Fourth District and those throughout the county.”
Perez, who represents the Coachella Valley and desert areas stretching to the Arizona border, has served on the board for six years, after he was appointed by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2017 to serve the remainder of the late John Benoit’s term. Perez then won a full term on the board the next year, and he ran unopposed for re-election in 2022.
Darin Schemmer, Perez’s communications director, sent a statement to The Desert Sun on Tuesday that directly refuted an editorial published Sunday by The Desert Review in Imperial County, which said Perez was resigning due to an undisclosed illness. The editorial from the Brawley-based publication is no longer available online.
“Upon reading his own obituary, Mark Twain famously remarked, ‘The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated,’” Perez said in the prepared statement. “Like many of you, I was shocked to read an editorial published online by the Desert Review that falsely claimed I was stepping away from my duties on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
A downloaded copy of the Desert Review’s editorial, which was provided by Perez's office, also suggested that Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia — who is not seeking re-election to the state Legislature next year — could be appointed to fill Perez’s position on the board. Perez pushed back on the notion in his statement Tuesday.
“While news of political musical chairs allows for speculation from some ill will and bad faith politically motivated individuals to conduct devious succession planning, rest assured that does not involve me as I am nowhere near ready to stop serving the residents of the Fourth District and those throughout the county,” Perez said. “Our job is not done. We have more work to do to build more infrastructure, bringing more jobs into the desert, and building more affordable housing.”
“For those that are concerned about my health, know I have been working with my doctors and the prognoses is good,” Perez continued. “And while I certainly didn’t have relating to Mark Twain’s quote in my 2023 bingo card, it certainly gave me a good laugh.”
Schemmer declined to offer any details about Perez’s health issues, calling it a personal matter.
A former member of the Coachella City Council and California State Assembly, Perez touted his work as a supervisor in the statement Tuesday, pointing to efforts to bring a homeless navigation center to Palm Springs, the opening of Acrisure Arena in the mid-valley and infrastructure and park investments in the eastern Coachella Valley.
“Thank you for your unwavering trust and support, and know that I am as excited as I ever have been to continue as your supervisor,” Perez said.
Tom Coulter covers the cities of Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. Reach him at thomas.coulter@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Supervisor Perez refutes rumors, says he's 'nowhere near ready to stop serving’
