Recall In the News:

Recall group tries again
Will resubmit paperwork against 2 on GT council
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer

GRAND TERRACE - Supporters of an effort to recall two City Council members continue to struggle to get their movement off the ground.

Residents trying to remove Mayor Maryetta Ferre and Councilwoman Lee Ann Garcia from office turned in paperwork to begin the process nearly two months ago.

But they still have not been cleared to begin collecting signatures to force a recall election.

They have been required to start over at least three times because the initial notices of intent to recall petitions were flawed, City Clerk Brenda Mesa said.

Bill Hays, spokesman for the recall effort, said the problems have been corrected and he plans to submit recall petitions to Mesa's office today for verification.

Once they are approved to circulate petitions, proponents would have 90 days to collect about 1,500 signatures to force a recall election.

Hays said city officials are being "nit-picky" in making sure that the recall petitions contain no errors.

"We knew they would go over it with a fine-tooth comb," said Hays, a 59-year-old De Berry Street resident. "If there's the slightest little mistake, they'll make us resubmit."

City Manager Tom Schwab said the Election Code is very specific about what information must be contained in the recall petitions.

"We're not being nit-picky. We're following the law, which is what I would expect (Hays) would want us to do," Schwab said. .

Recall supporters accuse Ferre and Garcia of ignoring residents' wishes and supporting unpopular projects such as a proposed shopping center on Barton Road, an outdoor-themed retail center, a senior-housing complex and other developments.

"The biggest thing is they don't listen to the community," Hays said.

Ferre's and Garcia's terms are due to expire in 2008.

"All the allegations are baseless," Ferre said. `'It is my view that this group's attacks on every issue are designed to hide the fact that they have no constructive ideas of their own. In my view, these people are simply upset that I refuse to let them monopolize discussions at council meetings."

Garcia said there is no truth to the accusations that the council has been fiscally irresponsible and makes decisions behind closed doors in secret meetings.

"There has been no wrongdoing," Garcia said. "But don't take our word for it. Look at what the budget says. We have balanced budgets and we have comfortable reserves. The majority of residents are happy with the direction we're going."

Political consultant Paul Fickas, who is not affiliated with the recall movement, said recall proponents face major obstacles.

"If they are going to unseat an incumbent, they are going to have to spend two or three times the money the incumbent would spend to keep their seat," said Fickas, president of JJ Communications in Redlands. "Unless they are extremely organized and have raised a lot of money to let the voters know these candidates are bad, they won't be successful."

Hays said he is determined to prove the naysayers wrong.

"We expected it would be hard," Hays said. "We've never done this before. We'll get it done one way or another."