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Loser by 1 Vote Asks for School Ballot Recount

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Times Staff Writer

A Garvey School District Board of Education member who lost his seat by one vote has requested a recount, which the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder’s office was scheduled to begin today.

The outcome of the race has been topsy-turvy since the day after the Nov. 5 election.

At first, incumbent Raul (Tony) Garcia appeared to be the winner by a one-vote margin. But the official count, which was released last week and included some absentee ballots not previously tallied, gave Gilbert Barron a 517-516 victory.

Filed Request

Garcia filed a request for the recount Monday, and it is expected to be completed by Friday, county spokeswoman Marcia Ventura said.

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The recount could affect the balance of power on the board. A Garcia victory would dismantle a new majority--consisting of Barron; his running mate, Virginia Gutierrez, and board member Robert Miranda--that has been critical of the district’s administration and the old board.

Three of the five board seats were at stake in the election. Victories by Gutierrez and Judy Chu, a 32-year-old psychologist from Monterey Park, were uncontested by the losers. Miranda and incumbent Jim Smith were not up for reelection.

The district serves 7,100 students in kindergarten through eighth grade in parts of Monterey Park, Rosemead and San Gabriel.

If the recount produces a tie, the matter will be turned over to the new board, which must decide whether to hold a special election or determine the winner in some other manner such as flipping a coin or drawing straws, Deputy Supt. Roger Temple said, adding that the exact procedure is not certain because the district has never had a tie vote.

No 2nd Recount

In the event of a reversal, that verdict would be final, Ventura said, and Barron would not be entitled to a recount.

Garcia, a 34-year-old teacher, acknowledged that the small number of ballots cast leaves little hope that a mistake was made, but he said he decided to seek another tally after learning that a recount two years ago in the Pasadena Community College district resulted in a tie and a special election to decide the winner.

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Garcia added that friends and relatives have contributed about $170 to the $100 he had left over from the campaign to pay the $280 fee for the recount. He will receive a refund if the result changes, Ventura said.

A Garcia victory could alter the direction of the new board because he and Barron differ philosophically, especially on the degree to which board members should be involved in day-to-day operation of the school system.

Policy-Making Role

“I would push for the board to operate in their area of responsibility, which is policy-making, and to keep its damn nose out of administration,” Garcia said.

Barron had blamed the administration for failing to involve parents in the business of the district and has vowed to implement programs to encourage parents involvement. The district superintendent is Andrew J. Viscovich.

Barron said he is not sure how much impact a reversal would have on the new board, but added, “There have been some differences (between us) in the past year.”

Garcia, a one-term incumbent, was involved in what became a bitter feud between Miranda and board President John Nunez, who was defeated in the election. The other defeated incumbent was Carl Van Winkle.

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Miranda had accused Nunez of misusing his district-issued credit card and his accusation prompted the formation of a special board subcommittee to review the expenses of all board members. Nunez later supplied required receipts to the subcommittee and was cleared of the charge, but he has said he believes he was nonetheless tainted.

Garcia was a member of the subcommittee that found Miranda had failed to submit proper documentation for more than $3,000 in expenses. Miranda maintained that he was the victim of political maneuverings and the controversy spilled over into the campaign, where he supported Barron and Gutierrez, and opposed incumbents Garcia and Nunez.

Garcia said he would rather face Barron “mano a mano” (hand-to-hand) in a special election so that voters could choose between them without other influences.

The recount came as no surprise, said Barron, a 47-year-old telephone company account executive from Rosemead. “I expected it,” Barron said. “I would have done it.”

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