Clerk’s Office Seeks Changes in Recall Petitions
Proponents of removing three Pico Rivera councilmen must revise paperwork before they can begin collecting signatures.
PICO RIVERA — Members of Pico Rivera Community for Truth in Politics hoped to begin gathering signatures this week in their effort to recall three members of the City Council. But their efforts to recall Mayor Pete Ramirez, Mayor Pro Tem Ron Beilke and Councilman David Armenta hit a snag Tuesday when group leaders received a certified letter from the city clerk’s office asking that minor changes be made to petitions they plan to circulate.
That could delay for another two weeks the collection of signatures because recall supporters must re-submit the petitions for the city clerk’s approval.
Raul Murga, executive director of the Pico Rivera Community for Truth in Politics, served the three councilmen with recall papers after the Aug. 2 City Council meeting.
He said the recall was based on the three voting to hire an inexperienced city manager last December and voting to close the Pico Rivera Stables in Bicentennial Park earlier this year.
In their formal response to the recall, which will be part of the paperwork recall proponents must present to people whose signatures they are seeking, the three councilman chose to attack the backers of the recall.
“There is no basis for this recall other to settle personal grudges,” Beilke said in his response. “Two years ago I led a recall effort that included many of the same individuals now a part of this recall attempt.”
“It is ironic that yet another mean-spirited and unnecessary recall effort would be foisted upon the voters by a small group of angry gadflies,” Ramirez said in his response. “Our residents overwhelmingly agree and support the new direction at City Hall. We will not be intimidated in our efforts at turning this city around and significantly improving public safety, fiscal discipline, efficient delivery of services and resident satisfaction.”
“This latest recall effort by a disgruntled ‘Gang of 25’ malcontents is a thinly veiled attempt to overturn the positive results from the last council election and reverse course on the New Agenda for Progress in Pico Rivera that has already achieved significant success,” Armenta said.
Beilke referred to an attempted recall effort in 2004 that targeted Councilmen Gregory Salcido and Carlos Garcia and former Councilwoman Bea Proo after the three voted to give former City Manager Dennis Courtemarche a raise to keep him from leaving the city.
Armenta and Ramirez supported that recall effort, which failed to collect enough signatures to force a recall election. Beilke defeated Proo in the 2005 municipal election and within a month of his election voted with Armenta and Ramirez to fire Courtemarche, a move that cost the city $360,000 to pay off the remainder of Courtemarche’s contract.
Beilke, Armenta and Ramirez then hired Chuck Fuentes, who ran Beilke’s successful campaign for the council, as a consultant while a search for a new city manager was conducted.
Last December, Fuentes was hired as city manager even though he had no experience in municipal government and lacked a college degree.
Earlier this year, the current council anger members of the Pico Rivera Community for Truth in Politics by voting to close the stables at Bicentennial Park, forcing the owners of the horses housed there to find new places for their animals.
Although most of the horse owners were not residents of the city, the citizens group sided with them and have appeared at most City Council meetings this year, criticizing the current council leadership.
This is the seventh time since 1993 that recall papers have been served against members of the City Council here. Only one effort ever reached the ballot.In 1997 Councilmen John Chavez and Gil De La Rosa were recalled by voters. Ramirez and Garcia were elected at that time to fill their spots on the council.
Once the city clerk approves the recall papers, Murga’s group will have 120 days to gather signatures of registered voters in the city. Murga said earlier this month it would probably take 5,500 signatures against each councilman to place the issue on the ballot.
Complicating the process is the fact that Ramirez is up for re-election next March, along with Salcido and Garcia. State law prevents an elected official from being recalled within six months of his or her re-election date.
Compliments of Los Angeles Wave (City News Service)
On the Net: http://www.wavenewspapers.com/
Proponents of removing three Pico Rivera councilmen must revise paperwork before they can begin collecting signatures.
PICO RIVERA — Members of Pico Rivera Community for Truth in Politics hoped to begin gathering signatures this week in their effort to recall three members of the City Council. But their efforts to recall Mayor Pete Ramirez, Mayor Pro Tem Ron Beilke and Councilman David Armenta hit a snag Tuesday when group leaders received a certified letter from the city clerk’s office asking that minor changes be made to petitions they plan to circulate.
That could delay for another two weeks the collection of signatures because recall supporters must re-submit the petitions for the city clerk’s approval.
Raul Murga, executive director of the Pico Rivera Community for Truth in Politics, served the three councilmen with recall papers after the Aug. 2 City Council meeting.
He said the recall was based on the three voting to hire an inexperienced city manager last December and voting to close the Pico Rivera Stables in Bicentennial Park earlier this year.
In their formal response to the recall, which will be part of the paperwork recall proponents must present to people whose signatures they are seeking, the three councilman chose to attack the backers of the recall.
“There is no basis for this recall other to settle personal grudges,” Beilke said in his response. “Two years ago I led a recall effort that included many of the same individuals now a part of this recall attempt.”
“It is ironic that yet another mean-spirited and unnecessary recall effort would be foisted upon the voters by a small group of angry gadflies,” Ramirez said in his response. “Our residents overwhelmingly agree and support the new direction at City Hall. We will not be intimidated in our efforts at turning this city around and significantly improving public safety, fiscal discipline, efficient delivery of services and resident satisfaction.”
“This latest recall effort by a disgruntled ‘Gang of 25’ malcontents is a thinly veiled attempt to overturn the positive results from the last council election and reverse course on the New Agenda for Progress in Pico Rivera that has already achieved significant success,” Armenta said.
Beilke referred to an attempted recall effort in 2004 that targeted Councilmen Gregory Salcido and Carlos Garcia and former Councilwoman Bea Proo after the three voted to give former City Manager Dennis Courtemarche a raise to keep him from leaving the city.
Armenta and Ramirez supported that recall effort, which failed to collect enough signatures to force a recall election. Beilke defeated Proo in the 2005 municipal election and within a month of his election voted with Armenta and Ramirez to fire Courtemarche, a move that cost the city $360,000 to pay off the remainder of Courtemarche’s contract.
Beilke, Armenta and Ramirez then hired Chuck Fuentes, who ran Beilke’s successful campaign for the council, as a consultant while a search for a new city manager was conducted.
Last December, Fuentes was hired as city manager even though he had no experience in municipal government and lacked a college degree.
Earlier this year, the current council anger members of the Pico Rivera Community for Truth in Politics by voting to close the stables at Bicentennial Park, forcing the owners of the horses housed there to find new places for their animals.
Although most of the horse owners were not residents of the city, the citizens group sided with them and have appeared at most City Council meetings this year, criticizing the current council leadership.
This is the seventh time since 1993 that recall papers have been served against members of the City Council here. Only one effort ever reached the ballot.In 1997 Councilmen John Chavez and Gil De La Rosa were recalled by voters. Ramirez and Garcia were elected at that time to fill their spots on the council.
Once the city clerk approves the recall papers, Murga’s group will have 120 days to gather signatures of registered voters in the city. Murga said earlier this month it would probably take 5,500 signatures against each councilman to place the issue on the ballot.
Complicating the process is the fact that Ramirez is up for re-election next March, along with Salcido and Garcia. State law prevents an elected official from being recalled within six months of his or her re-election date.
Compliments of Los Angeles Wave (City News Service)
On the Net: http://www.wavenewspapers.com/
posted by llacer @ 9:43 AM
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