Westminster leaders vote to honor slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk

In the latest culture war to hit Westminster city hall, the City Council on Wednesday voted to rename a street after Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was shot and killed in September, and designate Oct. 14 in his honor.

The vote came despite the majority of public speakers at the meeting calling it a political move meant to serve congressional ambitions at a time when city leaders should be focusing on serious ongoing financial challenges.

Westminster has flirted with filing for bankruptcy numerous times in the past few years, and one reason observers and residents say they haven't been able to address the issues is because City Council meetings get pulled into culture wars and in fighting.

Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen, who proposed changing All American Way to Charlie Kirk Way, said it would “honor someone who has encouraged a new generation to care about their country, to get involved and to speak up for what they believe in.”

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“This is freedom of speech,” he said. “Charlie Kirk’s message has inspired countless young Americans to think critically, serve their communities and appreciate the freedom we enjoy.”

In September, Kirk, a right-wing activist and ally of President Donald Trump, was fatally shot during an outdoor speaking event at Utah Valley University. Kirk rose to fame for espousing right-wing Christian values and connecting with young people on college campuses.

But Councilmember Carlos Manzo, the sole voice of dissent on the dais against the street renaming, said the move  was just “exploiting a tragedy for political gain.” He pointed out that Nguyen and Councilmember Amy Phan West are running for Congress in 2026 and using their nonpartisan council seats to spotlight “national divisive issues” that they can use to campaign on a Republican platform.

Public weighs in

A cross section of city residents, including self-identified conservative Republicans, spoke out against the proposals, calling them a waste of money and time.

“ I am against spending tax dollars to name the street after Charlie, as much as I like him,” said Michael Verrengia, a longtime Westminster resident and veteran. “He didn't live in Westminster. He didn't do anything for Westminster.”

Another resident, Tammy Hamill, called the move “campaigning from the dais.”

“You guys are putting this stuff on there to get the word out to your party leaders,” she said.

Westminster residents approved increasing the city’s sales tax in 2022 and again in 2024 to save the city from filing for bankruptcy. Hamill said residents reluctantly voted for those tax increases to save the city from filing bankruptcy, not to spend on “pet projects.”

Others suggested the council use the $3,000 allocated to renaming the street toward youth programming or honoring the Mendez family. In the 1940s, the Mendez family in Westminster successfully challenged the segregation of Mexican American children in California schools, which was used as a precedent for the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision that desegregated schools across the country.