Anaheim Voters to Fill Council Position Today

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today for Anaheim’s special election to seat a fifth member on the deeply split City Council.

City Clerk Leonora N. Sohl has not predicted how many of the city’s 100,689 registered voters will cast ballots. However, she said the last special election--for a bond issue, which generally brings a low turnout--attracted only 11% of the voters. About 3,000 absentee ballots already have been sent out for this election, she said.

The fifth council seat was left open by the election last November of Mayor Don R. Roth to the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

Twelve candidates will appear on today’s ballot, but the bitter race 7has narrowed to two: William D. (Bill) Ehrle, 44, who was the top runner-up in last November’s election, and Charlene La Claire, 49, a planning commissioner for 12 years.

La Claire, supported by council members Miriam Kaywood and Irv Pickler, has charged that Ehrle is controlled by “special interests,” big-time bingo and organized labor.

She has also said her opponent has a “permanent psychiatric disability,” citing a 1984 worker’s compensation claim that he filed for stress, and she has questioned whether he is capable of handling the decision-making duties of a council member. Her record of public service proves her to be an “independent” who can reunite the council, she has said.

Ehrle, supported by Mayor Ben Bay and Councilman Fred Hunter, has denied La Claire’s “special interest” charges. Although he earlier reportedly favored allowing charitable groups to stage bingo games two nights a week, he said last week that he does not endorse any change in the city’s ordinance allowing once-a-week bingo.

He has denounced La Claire’s charge of psychiatric disability as a “smear.” While he did submit the worker’s compensation claim after his cardiologist recommended that he leave a high-pressure job, he said he received $1,128 and was off work six weeks before starting his own public relations firm.

Ehrle has called for the firing of City Manager William O. Talley, saying the city’s top executive has taken over control of policy-making from the City Council, which is split 2 to 2.

Other candidates on the ballot are Rosamond Claire Fergen, pharmaceutical sales representative; Manuel R. Hernandez, maintenance engineer; Andy Deneau, preservation consultant (who withdrew from the race last week); Rick F. Vaught, real estate agent; Roger M. Emard, overhead door fcontractor; W.R. (Bob) Baker, operations analyst; Bill G. Burnett, constitutional historian; Gustave (Gus) Bode, retired businessman; Jim Grover, businessman, and Karl Law Waterman, electronics technician.

The winner in today’s election needs only a plurality. Ballots will be counted in the City Council chambers, and the tallying is open to the public.

The first ballots are expected to arrive at about 8:30 p.m., and the first returns probably will not be known until after 9 p.m., City Clerk Sohl said. Residents may telephone the City Hall switchboard, (714) 999-5100, or the city clerk’s office, (714) 999-5166, for updates on election results.