Velazquez recall moves ahead despite voters’ regrets

The San Benito County Board of Supervisors narrowly rejected a petition to recall one of its members and labeled the effort “illegal” due to allegations that signature gatherers misled local voters. 

Some of those voters said during a public hearing at the Nov. 18 board meeting that paid signature gatherers had told them the purpose of the petition was to support local firefighters, and did not mention it was in fact for an election to recall District 5 Supervisor Ignacio Velazquez. 

However, county elections officials still must schedule a recall election on the June 2026 ballot. County staff and elections officials presented a valid petition from the recall proponents and a “certificate of sufficiency” for the board’s approval. 

Proponents of the recall campaign—who include former Hollister city council members Carol Lenoir and Rick Perez—submitted a petition in September with 2,256 signatures for an election to remove Velazquez from office. 

According to the Registrar of Voters office, they needed at least 25%, or 1,833 registered voters’ signatures from District 5. Elections officials counted and verified the signatures on the recall proponents’ petition, and confirmed 1,842 of the signatures were valid—meeting the required threshold.

The recall proponents began collecting signatures in the early summer. 

But after hearing public comments that included accounts of paid signature gatherers incorrectly stating the purpose of the petition, the board on Nov. 18 voted 3-2 to deny its certification and “state that this recall election is invalid because it was done illegally.” 

The motion by Board Chair Kollin Kosmicki was supported by Velazquez and Supervisor Dom Zanger. They claimed the petition was illegal because signature gatherers had failed to disclose to some voters that it was for a recall of Velazquez, which could be a violation of the state elections code. 

District Attorney Joel Buckingham said at the meeting that California elections code calls it a misdemeanor to “misrepresent the nature of a petition.” 

He added that earlier this month, his office “received a complaint regarding the fact that petitions were being presented under the guise of firefighters’ raises when they were actually recall petitions.” 

The board has not filed legal action and no charges have been filed in relation to the signature gathering effort. Buckingham said his office will continue to investigate the allegations, which so far have been reported by about 20 voters. 

Despite the board’s vote, county elections officials within 14 days still must issue an election order and consolidate the recall of Velazquez on the June 2 election ballot.  

During public comment at the Nov. 18 meeting, several voters said they signed the recall petition after paid signature gatherers had said it was for other causes including raises for firefighters. Some said they would not have signed the paperwork if they had known it was for a recall election. 

“This guy never mentioned to me anything about a recall,” San Benito County voter Miguel Gomez said of a signature gatherer who approached him. “I signed it without checking real deep. My question is, how am I going to erase my name for this mistake?”

Zanger said even he was approached by someone at the Hollister farmers market who sought his signature for a petition that the canvasser said was “to support the fire department.” Zanger knew the petition was for a recall of Velazquez and did not sign it. 

“It was shameful that this happened,” Zanger said. “I am in no way putting my name behind this dishonest process that took place with this recall.” 

Supporters of the recall who spoke at the meeting did not deny that signature gatherers made such statements during the petition process. They have said they began the recall effort because they disapprove of Velazquez’s support and negotiation of a contract for fire services with the City of Hollister, that was approved by the supervisors earlier this year. 

The recall proponents, who formed a group known as Public Safety First: Committee to Recall Supervisors Velazquez and Kosmicki, paid more than $30,000 to Santa Cruz-based company Plain Dan Solutions to gather signatures for the recall petition. 

The group started out attempting to recall Kosmicki as well, but refocused the campaign solely on Velazquez by late summer. 

Proponents listed on the recall petition are Perez and Carol Lenoir, as well as Brian Lenoir, Richard Lenoir, Joe Medina, Kelly Dominguez, Hani Mayzouni, Nedda Mayzouni, Jose Fernandez and Irene Mata. 

“What are we going to do to stop these ongoing violations? Are we going to hold people accountable?” Velazquez said before supporting the motion to deny certification of the petition. 

The county’s cost for placing the recall of Velazquez on the June 2 ballot will be between $10,000-$15,000, according to county staff.