Residents in San Bernardino are speaking out against the city’s decision to charge an entrance fee for their upcoming State of the City event.
Tickets for this year’s state of the city are $75 each and some residents are not happy.
Treasure Ortiz — a city council candidate for the seventh ward — alleges Mayor Helen Tran and the City Council are violating the Brown Act by charging for the event.
"They have to be free to all that want to attend," she said.
David Loy with the First Amendment Coalition agrees with Ortiz.
"If there is a meeting of a legislative body as defined in the act, then that meeting is required to be open in public and the city cannot charge admission," Loy says.
Officials did not respond to requests for comment in time for broadcast. They announced on Wednesday that the State of the City will be live streamed for the public to watch.
The State of the City is on May 30.
