While life in San Juan Bautista often moves slower than in the
rest of the world, two city councilmen are finding that politics in
rural towns can be just as cutthroat as anywhere else. After voting
to fire veteran City Manager Larry Cain last month, political
aficionado and Cain supporter Rebecca McGovern initiated a recall
attempt against Mayor Arturo Medina and Vice-Mayor Charles Geiger
last week.
Hollister – While life in San Juan Bautista often moves slower than in the rest of the world, two city councilmen are finding that politics in rural towns can be just as cutthroat as anywhere else. After voting to fire veteran City Manager Larry Cain last month, political aficionado and Cain supporter Rebecca McGovern initiated a recall attempt against Mayor Arturo Medina and Vice-Mayor Charles Geiger last week.
McGovern and nine other recall proponents who signed the notice of intent to recall the men believe the councilmen must be removed from office because they fired Cain, and filed the notice with the city last Wednesday. While Councilman George Dias also voted to terminate Cain, McGovern said she left his name off the list because it would leave the council with only two members and the interruption would halt city business.
But Geiger, who hasn’t been served with the notice yet, says that rationale makes no sense and believes McGovern initiated the recall attempt without knowing all the information behind Cain’s firing. He believes McGovern, who is a slow-growth advocate and instrumental in the city’s historical preservation society, is fearful that another city manager could come in and take San Juan in a direction she believes would harm the city.
“Rebecca McGovern has no understanding of the financial aspects of the city. She’s experienced a lot of tough times because of her involvement in the city and she thinks Cain has calmed things down,” Geiger said. “But someone yells fire and everybody starts running for the door. That’s part of the craziness Rebecca’s trying to start in the community.”
Cain, who did not return phone calls Tuesday, was fired in a 3-2 vote last month. Councilmembers cited poor performance evaluations and a lack of communication as reasons for his dismissal.
“Larry appeared to be really trying to help the city, but the truth is our contracts are so sloppy, vague, misleading and unsigned,” Geiger said. “We’re trying to get all this stuff straight. (McGovern) is looking at the surface view and we’re looking at who’s accountable for things in the city.”
Geiger also believes McGovern didn’t include Dias in the recall effort for political reasons. Dias, a life-long San Juan resident with strong ties to community members, was elected to the council last November and won by 36 percent of the vote.
“She’s afraid if she goes after the three of us that all the people connected to George Dias would never sign the petition,” Geiger said. “She’s angry about the decision but she refuses to recall Dias.”
Dias, who declined to comment on why he thinks McGovern left him off the recall list, was unhappy to hear about the effort against his fellow councilmembers and believes the hostility stems from an aversion to change.
“We’re not a puppet council. We’re willing to make the hard choices and I think it’s too bad they’re not letting us do our job,” he said. “Our town has a hard-working council and I hope this thing falls short.”
McGovern said her decision to initiate a recall effort hinged entirely on the men’s decision to fire Cain, but declined to comment in any more detail or why she left Dias out.
“I supported them for their election,” she said. “I asked them three times to not do what they were about to do.”
She directed all questions to the notice of intent, which states that Cain’s knowledge concerning road improvements, police services and the city’s dilapidated water and sewer system was needed to steer the bucolic city in the right direction.
Also listed as a reason for initiating a recall attempt against the two was the timing of Cain’s firing. The city is in the process of securing a $3.8 million federal grant to renovate its sewer and water system, but has yet to sign an agreement with the San Benito County Water District to supplement the federal grant with $3.1 million. Without the water district’s backing and a signed agreement sent to the feds by next week, the city will lose the federal grant. But officials hope to have an agreement hammered out by the end of the week, Geiger said.
The ten recall proponents believe Cain was an integral player in the city’s procurement of the federal grant, which it had been waiting on for years.
McGovern wouldn’t comment on whether she agreed with the men’s decisions leading up to the one that terminated Cain, but said she and her group of nine supporters plan to go door-to-door to further their cause.
But before that happens, both council members have the opportunity to file a response in regards to the recall. While Geiger said he hasn’t been served with a notice yet, he said Medina has.
Once McGovern files the appropriate paperwork with the city, which could take weeks because of the stringent regulations attached to recall petitions, she will have 40 days to collect 270 signatures to get a recall on the ballot. The city would have to hold a special election, which could cost upwards of $20,000, according to Registrar John Hodges. Hodges estimated the figure based on the 1993 recall effort that cost the city nearly $8,000 and ousted three city council members – the only successful recall in the county’s history, Hodges said.
Lifelong resident Mary Sellen, who signed the notice to recall the men, said she put her name on the petition because Cain, unlike some past city managers, had stuck with the position for several years and was popular with the people.
She also said she signed it because McGovern told her to.
“Somebody says sign here and you do it,” she said. “And when you sign something it’s more embarrassing to back out. Some people called Becky and wanted to have their names taken off.”
While McGovern is confident her endeavor will pay off in the long run and Geiger ostensibly disagrees, Dias has taken a different approach to the effort.
Whether it’s a lifetime spent in the Mission City or simply a more realistic view of politics, Dias believes the recall’s chance for success is a toss up.
“In San Juan,” Dias said, “you never know.”
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
