Yuma council candidate faces misconduct allegations, denies claims, cites retaliation

An internal investigation document has put Henry Valenzuela’s Yuma City Council bid under an ethics lens, accusing the former Yuma police lieutenant of missing work hours, failing to supervise, misreporting his time between January and April 2025, using a city vehicle for personal reasons and skipping required training. Valenzuela denies the allegations and says the matter was made public now to damage his campaign and retaliate against his criticism of city leadership.

The dispute matters because Valenzuela is running in a citywide election that will decide more than one council seat. The City of Yuma lists him as a candidate for the July 21, 2026 primary, alongside incumbent Carol Smith and Ronald Van Why, with a general election set for Nov. 3, 2026. Mayor Doug Nicholls and presiding municipal judge candidate Nohemy Echavarria are also on the ballot, putting the council race inside a broader contest that will shape public safety, growth and city services.

Valenzuela’s campaign already has formal footing. The city’s registered committees page lists “Henry Valenzuela for Yuma City Council,” showing that his run had moved well beyond a casual announcement. His campaign materials focus on public safety, economic growth and youth sports, themes that align with a candidate drawing on a law-enforcement career to seek public office.

The allegations also land against a familiar backdrop in Yuma politics. In 2019, Valenzuela, then a Yuma police sergeant, was named YPD Sworn Supervisor of the Year and asked for an investigation into alleged retaliation by then-City Administrator Greg Wilkinson. An outside law firm later found Wilkinson did not retaliate, and the conflict was part of the turmoil that contributed to Wilkinson’s retirement. That history gives the current dispute added significance because it places Valenzuela once again at the center of a fight over management, accountability and trust inside city government.

For voters, the key issue is not just whether the accusations are serious, but what they say about fitness for office. The record now includes disputed misconduct allegations, a denial, a prior retaliation fight and an active campaign for one of the city’s most visible elected posts. In a race that will decide who helps steer Yuma’s future, those questions are likely to matter as much as any campaign promise.