Despite an overall low success rate for recall elections in San
Benito County, three recall efforts against elected officials are
in full swing after proponents filed a notice of intent to recall
Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz Friday, and a group of San Juan
Bautista residents are out in force collecting signatures for a
recall effort against two city council members.
Hollister – Despite an overall low success rate for recall elections in San Benito County, three recall efforts against elected officials are in full swing after proponents filed a notice of intent to recall Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz Friday, and a group of San Juan Bautista residents are out in force collecting signatures for a recall effort against two city council members.
Proponents of a recall attempt against De La Cruz, being spearheaded by Ruben Lopez – the campaign manager for former Supervisor Bob Cruz who De La Cruz beat by 10 votes in the March 2004 election – served De La Cruz Thursday night and filed a notice with the San Benito County Elections Office Friday morning, according to Registrar John Hodges. Lopez is also the president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, who initiated an investigation into De La Cruz’s actions after he squeaked out a win over Cruz last year.
Proponents, who include former City Councilman Brian Conroy, have expressed concern about allegations that De La Cruz committed election fraud in the District 5 supervisor’s race and instigated a frivolous $5 million lawsuit against the county. Their group, the Citizens for Responsible Local Government, posted these matters, among others, on their Web site for recalling the neophyte supervisor – who has only been in office since January.
“We feel we’ve been patient waiting for the justice system to run its course with all of the charges made against De La Cruz. Just because they were reduced or dropped it does not mean they’re not guilty of committing violations of elections laws,” Lopez said. “There was a fly in the ointment that caused those charges to be reduced. It doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. We feel he doesn’t deserve to sit on that board because of these violations.”
De La Cruz has seven days to file a response to the attempt, which he said he plans to do sometime next week.
“The public elected me for four years. It’s just the same group of sore losers that can’t accept defeat,” De La Cruz said. “We need to start addressing the community’s needs instead of allocating the county’s resources for personal grudges.”
After De La Cruz files, recall proponents will have to publish their notice in a local publication and then submit the petition they plan to circulate to gather signatures with the Elections Office, Hodges said.
Once the petition is reviewed and ratified by the Elections Office, proponents will have 60 days to collect 1,090 signatures from District 5 constituents in order to put a recall on a special ballot, Hodges said.
San Juan recall ringleader, Rebecca McGovern, said her group of about 10 volunteers have been collecting signatures to recall Mayor Arturo Medina and Vice-Mayor Charles Geiger over the past week. They have until mid-May to collect 270 signatures to get a recall on the ballot. McGovern has said she initiated the attempt because of Geiger and Medina’s decision to fire former City Manager Larry Cain only weeks before the city solidified a $3.8 million federal grant to improve its infrastructure. McGovern believes Cain was instrumental in procuring the grant and believes the councilmembers’ decision to fire him was premature and politically-motivated, although Geiger has said Cain failed to communicate with the council and shirked many of his basic job duties. Councilman George Dias also voted to terminate Cain, but McGovern decided not to recall him because she said recalling three councilmembers at once was too many.
“They’re so much poppycock,” McGovern said of the reasons the council gave for Cain’s firing. “Larry and the grant writer worked for years on this (grant). Geiger, Medina and Dias never did anything on the water grant.”
Medina filed a response with San Juan’s city clerk earlier in the month, stating nothing was improved under Cain and McGovern instigated the effort simply because she has no other pressing battles to fight, according to his response.
Geiger has yet to file a response.
