Grand Terrace residents vow to press recall
SETBACK: The latest petition fails to meet election code rules, the city clerk says.
10:00 PM PDT on Friday, June 2, 2006
By PAUL LAROCCO
The Press-Enterprise
GRAND TERRACE - Residents hoping to force the city's first recall election promised Friday they won't be dispirited by the latest rejection of their petition to get the process started.
City Clerk Brenda Mesa invalidated a petition to recall Mayor Maryetta Ferre and Councilwoman LeeAnn Garcia on Thursday because it did not include printed names as well as the signatures of those who signed it, as required by state election code.
Last month, a first attempt to serve the city with a notice of intent petition also failed because of a lack of proper signatures, City Manager Tom Schwab said.
Bill Hays, a council critic who served the most recent petition, said getting another 20 resident signatures with printed names and addresses will not be a problem.
He acknowledged the first petition, which he did not submit, was hastily gathered, but said dissatisfied residents have been mobilizing, and are not willing to let minor setbacks derail recall efforts.
"We are confident we'll achieve even more (signatures) this time," Hays said. "This is a community action."
When he presented the second recall petition at the May 25 council meeting, Hays said Ferre and Garcia had forgotten they serve a representative form of government, and had let city staff and developers lead them.
He cited as the final straw a recent vote in favor of moving an electrical warehouse to a site he said does not comply with the city's general plan.
"There's an arrogance by some of the council members when it comes to the public," Hays said Friday, repeating a phrase he used at that meeting. "It's like we're the unwashed, huddled masses."
Hays said residents would also like to see Councilwoman Bea Cortes recalled, but since she is up for re-election this fall, she could not be included. Ferre and Garcia's terms expire in 2008.
Ferre dismissed the accusations as baseless the night of the meeting, and has promised she will refute every point made by the petition.
She and Garcia -- who has yet to publicly comment on the recall petition -- did not return calls Friday.
Cortes, however, defended herself and her targeted colleagues, calling the recall "ridiculous."
She said she always listens to the public, just not in the way that yields immediate dialogue and responses at council meetings.
"But this is the same group that has always had issues with any kind of item that comes before us," she said.
"Any project, they're opposing it."
If the notice of intent petition is validated, recall proponents have 90 days to obtain about 1,500 resident signatures, or 25 percent of the city's 5,964 registered voters.
If that is done, the City Council must set a recall election date, according to Schwab.
The city manager refused to comment Friday on the prospect of a recall, something Grand Terrace has never experienced in its near-30-year history.
Proponents, however, could continue to submit petitions as many times as they need, he said.
"They can do it once a day for a year," Schwab said.
Reach Paul LaRocco at 909-806-3056 or plarocco@PE.com
SETBACK: The latest petition fails to meet election code rules, the city clerk says.
10:00 PM PDT on Friday, June 2, 2006
By PAUL LAROCCO
The Press-Enterprise
GRAND TERRACE - Residents hoping to force the city's first recall election promised Friday they won't be dispirited by the latest rejection of their petition to get the process started.
City Clerk Brenda Mesa invalidated a petition to recall Mayor Maryetta Ferre and Councilwoman LeeAnn Garcia on Thursday because it did not include printed names as well as the signatures of those who signed it, as required by state election code.
Last month, a first attempt to serve the city with a notice of intent petition also failed because of a lack of proper signatures, City Manager Tom Schwab said.
Bill Hays, a council critic who served the most recent petition, said getting another 20 resident signatures with printed names and addresses will not be a problem.
He acknowledged the first petition, which he did not submit, was hastily gathered, but said dissatisfied residents have been mobilizing, and are not willing to let minor setbacks derail recall efforts.
"We are confident we'll achieve even more (signatures) this time," Hays said. "This is a community action."
When he presented the second recall petition at the May 25 council meeting, Hays said Ferre and Garcia had forgotten they serve a representative form of government, and had let city staff and developers lead them.
He cited as the final straw a recent vote in favor of moving an electrical warehouse to a site he said does not comply with the city's general plan.
"There's an arrogance by some of the council members when it comes to the public," Hays said Friday, repeating a phrase he used at that meeting. "It's like we're the unwashed, huddled masses."
Hays said residents would also like to see Councilwoman Bea Cortes recalled, but since she is up for re-election this fall, she could not be included. Ferre and Garcia's terms expire in 2008.
Ferre dismissed the accusations as baseless the night of the meeting, and has promised she will refute every point made by the petition.
She and Garcia -- who has yet to publicly comment on the recall petition -- did not return calls Friday.
Cortes, however, defended herself and her targeted colleagues, calling the recall "ridiculous."
She said she always listens to the public, just not in the way that yields immediate dialogue and responses at council meetings.
"But this is the same group that has always had issues with any kind of item that comes before us," she said.
"Any project, they're opposing it."
If the notice of intent petition is validated, recall proponents have 90 days to obtain about 1,500 resident signatures, or 25 percent of the city's 5,964 registered voters.
If that is done, the City Council must set a recall election date, according to Schwab.
The city manager refused to comment Friday on the prospect of a recall, something Grand Terrace has never experienced in its near-30-year history.
Proponents, however, could continue to submit petitions as many times as they need, he said.
"They can do it once a day for a year," Schwab said.
Reach Paul LaRocco at 909-806-3056 or plarocco@PE.com
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Gramps Says:
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Let's be clear on a few things.
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The "Group" isn't an single issue association of people who have all united against All City Plans or actions in the Past. This type of all inclusive and absolute statement made by both Mayor Ferre when she first was served the initial Recall Notice and now again stated by CouncilMember Bea Cortes is in error.
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Private Development, done without RDA funds, threats and debt are seldom commented upon by the petitioner requesting a Recall. Exception being the ill fated Manhole Builders Project proposed and rejected by even the closest supporters of the Council in addition to those the Mayor Ferre and Council Member Cortes target by their statements.
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Councilmember Cortes's statement also validates the current council does not believe in or listen to anything a citizen says or Yes, Bea Cortes does not have dialogue with anyone other than those that are in a political office that come before the council or to patronize those that will help her political career, or her Realty Sales.
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Mayor Ferre's made up law does not allow dialogue with a citizen by a council member. It is not Law, it is A Mayor Ferre Dictate, Councilmember Cortes clearly supports and practices.
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The City Clerk has the responsibility to aid the citizens in filing the forms. One must ask if there has been much cooperation from the clerk in regards to communicating or providing a blank form to the citizens attempting to exercise their rights?
The City Clerk has the responsibility to aid the citizens in filing the forms. One must ask if there has been much cooperation from the clerk in regards to communicating or providing a blank form to the citizens attempting to exercise their rights?
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Now that the big hidden truth is Out, one must question Mr. Schwabs reasoning for non disclosure of the reasons for rejection, and if the Clerk has provided sufficient advise and direction so that the Documents can be finalized and not turned into perpetual ping pong game over things like line numbering, margins, or font size. The Clerk provided a 30 something page guide, but this guide does not include a model or template. It describes the form, and the process, but it is inclusive of State to Local Recalls and distilling it to the local level should be the expertise of the City Clerk who is obligated to aid the citizen in preparing the required documents.
Now that the big hidden truth is Out, one must question Mr. Schwabs reasoning for non disclosure of the reasons for rejection, and if the Clerk has provided sufficient advise and direction so that the Documents can be finalized and not turned into perpetual ping pong game over things like line numbering, margins, or font size. The Clerk provided a 30 something page guide, but this guide does not include a model or template. It describes the form, and the process, but it is inclusive of State to Local Recalls and distilling it to the local level should be the expertise of the City Clerk who is obligated to aid the citizen in preparing the required documents.
