Palm Springs City Council votes at risk as Holstege’s residency questioned by district attorney

Palm Springs faces a potential governance crisis following a Riverside County District Attorney’s Office investigation that found City Councilmember Christy Holstege has allegedly not lived in her district for years, violating municipal code.

The revelation, reported first by The Desert Sun Wednesday evening, could mean Holstege’s seat has been vacant since 2022, and votes she cast during this period may be deemed invalid, according to a letter from District Attorney Mike Hestrin to the city attorney, which can be viewed here.

Hestrin’s letter states that Holstege no longer owns the District 4 home she claims as her primary residence, and the property has been rented on Airbnb since 2022.

“Should you fail to cure or correct pursuant to this demand letter, our office shall take any and all appropriate legal action,” Hestrin wrote, demanding the city address the alleged violation.

Holstege responded to the allegations via text message to a Desert Sun reporter, describing the issue as “a misunderstanding we are in the process of resolving.”

The investigation raises questions about the legality of Holstege’s votes during the time she lived outside her district. Palm Springs’ municipal code stipulates that termination of district residency creates a council vacancy unless a substitute residence within the district is immediately declared.

In 2022, Holstege confirmed purchasing a home outside her council district in the El Mirador neighborhood. At the time, she stated her intention to make this her primary residence if she won her California Assembly race that year. Holstege lost the race to Republican Greg Wallis and is running against him again this year.

Holstege claimed on social media that bringing up the home purchase outside her district was a misogynistic attack, writing, “Women purchase property. Tearing down women for no reason based on rumors makes good clickbait, but we have to talk about misogyny (and the) level of sustained character attacks women in elected office face (and) the impact on who serves.”

While the DA’s letter doesn’t specify Holstege’s exact current primary residence, it indicates it’s located in District 3, which covers central and eastern Palm Springs, including downtown.

City Attorney Jeffrey Ballinger said the DA’s Office had not provided the city with evidence supporting its conclusions. He indicated the city wishes to review the evidence before determining specific actions.

The issue of her residency is not the only controversy involving Holstege. Last month, it was reported that a universal basic income program that she was the driving force behind is the subject of an investigation.

In that case, the CEO of a nonprofit who she brought in to run the program, Queer Works, is alleged to have been paid $700,000 by the city, far more for his work than elected officials believed he would receive.

The district attorney is investigating what charges, if any, should be filed against the CEO, Jacob Rostovsky, who is also believed to have misappropriated funds from the county.

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