The head of a regional education advisory board has been appointed to replace Richard Fimbres on Tucsonâs city council.
Rocque Perez, 26, was unanimously approved by the council Tuesday among three remaining candidates for the Ward 5 seat, which mostly covers the cityâs south side.
âI think Ward 5 has been in the habit of producing change makers, and young change makers, and I feel honored to be one of them,â he told reporters Tuesday after his appointment. âIâm in disbelief. I think like most (of) Gen Z, (I) tend to disassociate a little so Iâm not quite caught up, but Iâm excited to hit the ground running and I think thereâs a lot of exciting things ahead.â
Tucson mayor Regina Romero, left, watches as Rocque Perez II is sworn in to the Tucson City Council for Ward 5, replacing Richard Fimbres, who resigned.
Perez served as the executive director of the Metro Education Commission, which advises the governing bodies on areas affecting educational welfare in the city and county. He told the City Council ahead of his appointment that he would step down from that role because the commission receives city funding.
Perez also serves as a commissioner on the cityâs LGBTQ+ Commission. He said experiences on both commissions âhave strengthened my ability to navigate complex systems while remaining rooted in the lived experiences of the people they are meant to serve.â he said.
Perez was part of the 2023 class of Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerceâs 40 Under 40 awards.
Fimbres, 72, a Democrat, announced his resignation last month. It became effective May 1.
Rocque Perez II smiles after being sworn in to the Tucson City Council seat Tuesday that was vacated by Richard Fimbres, who announced his resignation last month.
Fimbres, who was first elected to the seat in 2009, told the Starâs Tim Steller in January that health problems and his age made him want to retire from duty.
Fimbres had been attending council meetings remotely since the pandemic began.
Council members have said they wanted to appoint someone to replace Fimbres, who was not interested in running for the office.
Three seats on the city council â Wards 3, 5 and 6 â are up for grabs in the November election.
Currently, four Democrats and one Republican have filed for the Ward 5 seat.
Early voting for the Aug. 5 primary begins July 9.
